DE / Wilmington - 2009-15

[Elaine L]

The female (I am pretty sure it was the female) was on the eggs for a while this morning, but she has been gone now for almost an hour, and no mate  has arrived to replace her on the eggs.  Carly, have you heard anything more on the situation here?

[carly]

Tiercel at this site has been MIA for 2 days now.  Red still incubating and has had to leave the eggs to go feed herself, no one is arriving to relieve her and eggs are nearing hatch date.  First time mom so hope the male shows up or he's just out of sight but it is unusual not to see him at all as he's been quite present and has shared in the incubation.

[Alison]

The new female at this site has been identified; she is from the Harrisburg nest, born in 2008. From the Harrisburg site:

4/8/2010  ::   Juvenile Female Claims New Territory

The red-band coded female that fledged from the Rachel Carson State Office Building two years ago has been spotted at a nest site in Wilmington, Delaware; she may be responsible for killing the resident female and taking over the scrape.

This female was banded on May 22nd 2008 and weighed 795 g, the largest of the four nestlings banded that day. The Rachel Carson female and her mother, the nesting female at the Girard Point Bridge in Philadelphia from 1998 until 2005 are know to biologist as intensely aggressive and territorial. These traits have clearly been passed on to their progeny.

To see the young female at her new scrape, visit http://www.dosbirds.org/wilmfalcons

[bev.]

Red band now has 3 eggs.

[bev.]

Had a look at this and was wondering if this falcon was banded. Couldn't really tell but was curious. Sounds like they are nesting here, do we have a link to this?

there has been a change of females here.  the new female is a 2 year old  red band that was fledged from Harrisburg 2 years ago.  The resident female was found dead and they do not know for how long . we also witnessed a fight in nestbox with 2 males but the resident male prevailed.  It has been very sad for the folks there. check out their blogg from  the beginning and you can read and see pictures

[Linder]

Just had to check on the background info on this nest site and it is amazing what has been going on here. So happy to see an egg in the nest and hope for many more. Hope all goes well for this pair

[Alison]

They just found the resident females body, she's been missing for awhile now.  The other 3 are still being observed out there - there are people on the ground watching and the 2 males are still by the female so no resolution yet...I was hopeing the male that retreated would leave but looks like it may get nastier yet.  

I am so sorry to hear about the resident female. Haven't had a chance to check on this site in the last few days, but did check it today.

In the first pics I saved, I didn't see an egg:



But then I did:

 

[carly]

They just found the resident females body, she's been missing for awhile now.  The other 3 are still being observed out there - there are people on the ground watching and the 2 males are still by the female so no resolution yet...I was hopeing the male that retreated would leave but looks like it may get nastier yet. 

And the owl is still in the nest box at Cobb!

[carly]

Some of the folks at BCAW recorded the fight so should be something up later on. The prevailing falcon is back in the box, you can see a bit of something hanging off his beak that's red and looks fleshy  Hope the other falcon will be okay and made it out safely.

Photos and thread here if you are interested:

http://www.peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewtopic.php?f=168&t=459&start=220

[carly]

Really bad territorial fight going on right now in the nest box between Two males..watch at your own peril.  

Edit: One has retreated, thank god.  Oh the other one now with the bit of flesh in his mouth has jumped out too..I hope it's not to the death and the other one has left.

[Alison]

2010 NESTING SEASON

The new cam is now active at this site; haven't seen any peregrines there yet.

http://www.dosbirds.org/wilmfalcons

[Alison]

2009 NESTING SEASON

Peregrine falcon soap opera turns Delaware skies into theater

Wilmington falcons' love story ruffles rival bird's feathers

There may be the makings for a country song in the drama playing out in the skies over Wilmington. We've got the loving couple, the homewrecker, a fight, more fights and even death -- in the form of a turkey vulture.  It's a story that few in Wilmington even know about, though when a turkey vulture came tumbling out of the sky and landed on the sidewalk near the Brandywine Building, that may have attracted a little attention.

Our lovers are peregrine falcons -- a pair that has been living their own little "happily ever after" for nearly a decade in a nesting box on the Brandywine Building, where West Street meets 10th and 11th streets.  A few weeks ago, though, a homewrecker showed up.  The rogue bird is probably a female, said Bill Stewart, with the Delmarva Ornithological Society.

"It's highly unlikely a male is going to come in and break up a couple," he said.

So for several weeks now, the hussy has been at it.  The thought among birders and bird experts is that she is probably trying to break up the couple and move in on the territory.

"She could really wreak havoc on that nesting pair," said Anthony T. Gonzon Jr., a state biologist who monitors breeding birds.

Most birds of prey have large foraging territories and will defend their turf, he said.  When an interloper arrives, it causes a battle in the skies.

"It's kind of like if your neighbor built a shed on your property," Gonzon said.  The Brandywine Building pair have been nesting happily in the area since at least 2002. No one is quite sure where the third bird came from.

"I'm hoping that this third bird won't cause any problems with this pair," Gonzon said. As it now stands, there are three birds competing for the same turf -- and the sky show has been amazing, according to those who have seen it.  Stewart said he got a phone call recently from a fellow who witnessed one of the peregrines attacking a turkey vulture. In three hits, the vulture tumbled to the sidewalk.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091127/NEWS/911270333/An-avian-soap-opera-above-the-city