Nest monitor Mr. Wright, has been very worried about the juveniles the last few days. He visited the nest on Wednesday and could not find Lunge anywhere. He spent 7 hours on Thursday looking and looking, but still could not find Lunge. Cirrus and Strike spent their time sleeping, running and flapping.
“I was able to fold/tuck her wings in and carry her back to the building where she was put into a box - she got me again when I put her in the box - and was taken back to the nest. (Do you think Strike enjoyed her first elevator ride?)
Glad my brother was with me today. I could not have kept adults off me by my lonesome.
We first tried to put her back in the nest. No dice.
We then used the window by the web cams”.
Here is Strike safely back on the ledge near the nest.
“Strike got into trouble when she tried to return to the ledge and then tried to walk to the hotel. She ended up hanging upside down clutching the edge of the ledge and flew to the Park Building. I was on the street at the time.
She spent some time on the Park building. She then tried to fly to the nest ledge and missed twice. When she missed the second time, she lost a bunch of height as SW pecked at her back as she flew.
She flew down Euclid Avenue and ended up on a 3rd floor roof above Johhny’s Sandwich shop.
She then flew to the top of a parking garage and then down to a car.
When Mr. Wright returned to look for Lunge yesterday, Strike was missing as well. He reports, “Wow what a day. Strike was up on the Park Building across the street from the nest (which means she flew to get there).
I got up on the roof thinking it was Lunge but it was Strike”.
Mr. Wright and an employee of the building went out on the roof and both parents started flying at them to protect Strike.
This picture shows SW coming at the humans she thought were a danger to her daughter.
I knew I had to get her ASAP. A parking garage is not a safe place for falcons.
Mr. Wright ended his day in the Doctor's office for a Tetanus shot and prescription to prevent possible infection from the punctures inflicted by Strike’s beak and talons. A big thank you to Mr. Wright, his brother, and all the people from the building that helped them locate the missing fledglings!
To watch the falcons live go to: http://www.falconcam-cmnh.org/news.php Our thanks to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for sponsoring the FalconCams.
Photos are courtesy of Scott Wright, volunteer peregrine nest monitor. They may be used by children for school and/or personal projects, but please give Mr. Wright photo credit. All others must contact Mr. Wright directly for permission to use his photos.
Strike had to be caught. She was a long way from the nest and cars driving around are a danger. She saw me and then slipped off the car to the ground.
I walked up to her and said to myself – ‘Duh, You have no gloves or towel or box’. I had worn two shirts today so off came the Oxford and I used it to get a hold on her - but not before she got a hold on me. OUCH”.
Here is Strike being rescued as she shows Mr. Wright her razor-sharp talons. She lived up to her name and got him with her talons and beak.
Mr. Harvey Webster of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History tells us, “Fledging is always a nervous time as there are many perils in learning how to fly in the canyons of the city, starting with the fact that the young are 12 stories up. The winds in the city come swirling around the buildings and can form treacherous eddies and downdrafts. And yet this is a rite of passage that every young falcon must face.
First flights are usually short distance affairs from ledge to ledge and roof to roof. But within the next week to ten days all will be flying over Public Square. And although they might continue to spend the night at the nest box they will become independent of that site. They will continue to depend on their parents for food for the next 4-6 weeks.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Wright had heard from observers in the building that Lunge had spent all day Thursday on the 24th floor and he was OK (but wet). Mr. Wright says Lunge is flying well.
