GA / Atlanta - 2010-13

[RCF]

2013 Peregrine Falcon Banding
http://www.ustream.tv/riverviewtowerfalcons#/recorded/32533429

[RCF]

Atlanta’s Peregrine Falcons
This camera offers a unique look at peregrines nesting on downtown Atlanta’s SunTrust Plaza. The pair is nesting in a planter on a balcony more than 50 stories above ground. High above any natural predators, the planter offers soft substrate for the nest and affords some protection from harsh weather. Peregrine falcons have been nesting at SunTrust Plaza since 1997. (Note: The balcony is private and not open to the public!)

Ustream link to the cam  http://www.ustream.tv/GeorgiaWildlife

[RCF]

I was reading the Ustream chat and these two are named Kate and Spencer.  

[The Peregrine Chick]

Was peeking here too and I honestly thought the image was frozen because I couldn't see any movement, not even the adult breathing as she/he was incubating.  Was wrong.  Head suddenly popped up, bird looked all around, then head went back into the greenery and still can't see the bird breathing.

[Cooper]

My goodness. This is such a pretty site. I watched four perfect eggs this morning, all nestled in the greenery with the sunshine warming them until along came a parent to shuggle down on top of them. Parent has bright yellow "nose" and feet.

[RCF]

Here is a link to the live camera from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources

http://www.georgiawildlife.com/FalconCam

[The Peregrine Chick]

2013 NESTING SEASON

Atlanta Georgia birds have 3 eggs in the shrubbery too! Of course it's warm enough to have shrubbery in Georgia!

Edited to add:
Oops, just looked and I think there's four now!

(this from the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania thread ... good news that gets to be repeated!)

[bcbird]

.... Kate and Spencer, named after the movie stars Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracer.... awwwww.

[Ellie]

Cute as buttons when they are newly hatched but just love all this loose fluff hanging around and the baggy pant legs!

[carly]

Wow..stunning photos 

[Alison]

Some more information on the Atlanta falcons, who are apparently known as Kate and Spencer:

Peregrines ruling downtown roost

Celebrity downtowners Kate and Spencer are parents again, maintaining their high style from their 53rd-story digs while Atlantans wonder from below how they live so well.  The secret? Fresh air, exercise and plenty of raw bird.

Kate and Spencer, two rare peregrine falcons named after film stars Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy for their long-running romance, have three new additions at their terrace dwelling high atop Sun Trust Plaza. Outside the 53rd-floor offices of McKenna Long & Aldridge, a large planter box containing several small bushes provides an ideal nesting site to raise their three young hatchlings. It is the fourth brood produced by the couple, which mate for life.

Peregrines historically nested on remote cliff sites throughout the Appalachians, but now, the birds increasingly find skyscrapers, bridges or other large structures suitable habitat to hunt for food and raise young.

“Fledglings learning to hunt are like kittens,” said Georgia Department of Natural Resources biologist Jim Ozier.  “They instinctively chase and attempt to capture whatever flies by, often starting with insects.  From this, they quickly become adept at pursuing and killing pretty much any bird smaller than themselves.”

Because of eggshell thinning from pesticides and PCB poisoning, eastern populations of the peregrine were eliminated from the wild in the 1940s. The last known wild nest in Georgia was in Cloudland Canyon in the northwest corner of the state. Regulations on pesticides and protection of the birds have helped produce a slow comeback since they began being reintroduced nearly 40 years ago.

Since 1972, several hundred peregrines have been released across the eastern United States, including northeastern Georgia and even from the Georgia Power building.  There are as many as 450 pairs of peregrines currently in the eastern U.S., according to Ozier. Currently, there are only two known peregrine nests in Georgia, Kate and Spencer and another pair atop the Four Seasons in Midtown.

The birds can be seen flying around Peachtree Street, gathering food -- pigeons and unlucky songbirds -- for their young, which are now just leaving the nest. The public can also peek in for a live view.  A webcam, courtesy of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, The Garden Club of Georgia and McKenna, Long, & Aldridge LLP, gives a birds-eye view of the peregrines. Log on to http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/615.

http://www.ajc.com/news/peregrines-ruling-downtown-roost-532586.html

The great photos with the article are by Curtis Compton.

 
Spencer                                                                         Kate with the chicks

 
Female chick                                                                 Two male chicks

[Alison]

The cam view has been moved back.

[Alison]

Two chicks on the edge of the planter, looking very grown up:

[Alison]

The chicks are on the move; one is perched on the edge of the planter.

[sami]

Acyally, I was thinking of all the greenery.

[Alison]

Gives us an idea of what we would be looking at if ours had nested on the east again.

I think this site is a little different from the ledge - it's much higher up, on the 51st floor of the building. Also, although you can't see it in the webcam pic, there is actually a lot of space around the planter for the chicks to run, flap their wings, strengthen their muscles and attempt short flights before they are ready to leave the balcony. I used to have a pic of this, but can't find it at the moment.

[Alison]

Haven't posted any pics of this nest lately since it seemed somebirdie moved the cam.

Suddenly, the chicks have so many feathers:

[sami]

Gives us an idea of what we would be looking at if ours had nested on the east again.

[The Peregrine Chick]

These "jungle falcons" crack me up every year 

[Alison]

I still think there are three chicks . . . wing and tail feathers are already starting to appear!

The chicks this evening:

[The Peregrine Chick]

Does look like three ... man, they are more than a month older than anything we are going to have here!!

[Alison]

I think there are at least three chicks:

 
Being fed                                                        Well fed and going back to sleep

[bcbird]

That looks like a successful nesting spot.
The Law firm is very generous to give up its outdoor area to the falcons for the season. 

[Alison]

2010 NESTING SEASON

From the site:

Our Web cam shows a nest on the 51st-floor balcony of a downtown Atlanta office building.  The nesting falcons and the Web cam are being generously hosted by the law firm of McKenna, Long & Aldridge, which occupies the top floors of the building.  The nest is located in a large planter box containing small bushes.  The planter makes an ideal nest site because it provides a soft substrate, offers some protection from the elements and it is too high up for any natural predators.  Peregrine falcons typically mate for life. 

The cam at the Atlanta site is now active, and I think I see at least two chicks among the foliage in the planter.

http://georgiawildlife.com/node/615