Buckeye is spending more time at the nest after all the snow has melted. The longer daylight hours (photo sensitivity) and warmer days trigger the birds into courtship. Buckeye's courtship behavior in the nest box includes calling to SW, scraping in the nestbox gravel, and moving some objects around (nest keeping) with his beak. Buckeye also will make long soaring, diving, and gliding displays with tail feathers and wingtip feathers wide open. He will call to SW, circling, and diving to the nest box.
This is Buckeye making a scrape in the nestbox and calling to SW
During February, there has been work being done on Buckeye and SW's skyscraper home, and nearby windows have been washed.
Scott Wright, volunteer nest monitor for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, reports:
I normally can only get this close to SW when her young have hatched and she is protecting the nest. The workers on the building have made her "used" to people. So the workers on the building have done a wonderful favor in helping SW adapt to humans!!!
SW looks away from Buckeye and toward the workers
Warmer weather and longer daylight hours are triggering the male into courtship behavior ("the need to breed"), and Buckeye is actively courting SW and feeding her. Every year as nesting season begins, the male must show and prove his worth to the female by bringing food offerings on a regular basis. The male will also do a dance in the sky to show his flying ability. He will pass close by the female, with his tail feathers all displayed and stretched out, and oh yes, they will vocalize to each other. This will continue for some time, and on warmer days with higher winds, the couple will take to the air and together fly a dance across the sky. During this time I have seen males chase off interlopers, such at turkey vultures, hawks and others who dare to cross the Falcon No Fly Zone!
I would say early March for the eggs. Stay tuned for falcon news.......
Scott Wright Ohio Division of Wildlife Peregrine nest monitor (volunteer)
To watch the falcons live go to: http://www.falconcam.apk.net/ Our thanks to EcoCity Cleveland for providing the FalconCams as a public service.
The photos are courtesy of Scott Wright and can be used in any non-commercial publication, electronic or print, but please give him photo credit.
