After keeping on edge for the last 3 days Ophir has finally taken that extraordinary (for a 43 day old) leap of faith, and sailed off in to the trees below. Compared with her most recent sibling she was totally dignified and approached her flight with great style. Swift is still casting her shadow up on top of the Concrete Hilton, surveying the lands, but it’s with relief for all of us that all three wee, furry, squeaking eyases have achieved their biggest benchmark to date. We’ll keep an eye on them out in the trees and they’ll most probably be around the neighbourhood annoying local staff in the nearby offices for a few months yet!
With a tear on the cheek and a moist hanky we congratulate Beau and Swift on yet another successful season; now to feed them all. A brief video clip of Ophir departing can be viewed here …
Let’s hope we don’t have any of those freakish storms for a while until they’re all strong and savvy with their new environment.
I’ve been observing one of the quarry Peregrine’s perched high on a power line over here (at this moment-for the best part of an hour now), hunting between the racecourse and the railway line. There’s been much ado over the other side of the pine trees for the last few days, their juveniles are obviously out and about as well.
Hope all goes well over there with yours!
Lyd
Yes, away she goes! It is rather bittersweet though, isn’t it? So glad that all have fledged successfully but we are all certain to miss them, as I’m sure you and Cilla will too, Scott.
I loved seeing her actually fly off into the trees in the distance! Here in downtown Winnipeg, our juvies fledge to other tall buildings, or down on the ground, sometimes into the busy traffic because there are no trees around in the downtown area.
Here’s hoping for the very best for all three fledglings!
Thanks Scott for the great video (I knew you had it covered!!!)
I can’t wait to hear how the kids are doing. I can’t remember, do they ever try to make it back up to the box?
Well, I hate to admit it, but I’m beginning to go in to falcon withdrawal. Geeeeeeeeeeeez, February/March seems so far away. Our earliest pefa egg in the Northern Hemisphere was 2/25 this year…so far away…
I do hope at least one of the kids will return to the box…
Thanks for allowing all of us to enjoy this wonderful experience with all of you!!!
Hi all,
It’s indeed sad to see them all leave us but rest assured they’ll be hanging around for a few months yet as they learn the ways of the peregrine. We’ll keep up with all and any news items regardless and we’ll definitely be receiving visits in the eyrie as the days and weeks go on, most probably from all members of the local “peregrine base-jumping club” as they tend to use the ledge as a feeding place, along with the feeding branch down below. Already Swift has returned and is enjoying not being pecked and kicked to shreds finally! With rain setting in it’s a little dicey for tomorrow morning (now late afternoon) but we’ll be under cover, and the smell of breakfast will have people from all walks of life turning up!
Scott
Hi SGB,
That’s a long time between drinks i.e. until the northerners return to watch again; February is a long time away. We’re SO lucky the local ‘macropus’ subspecies isn’t migratory and we can enjoy their company all year round. We’ll be keeping a constant vigil on this family so keep in touch with the website!
Scott
Thanks so much for sharing these peregrines with us!! I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them. The 3rd fledge was just beautiful, I was happy to see it happen live and now to see it again in the film. Thanks, Scott! I hope the breakfast is a big success, wish I could come!!
Greeting from The Netherlands,
Suzanne
Hi Scott…yes it is a long time until February…but thankfully, a lot of the resident adults hang around their nest box/territory and don’t migrate..too many juicy pigeons to eat in the urban environment. Some cam operators keep the cams up and running for us poor souls who need a falcon fix. Of course, timing is everything and 90% of the time you sit, staring at an empty ledge…LOL