Above, meet Woodsie & Maddie - the last two brothers to fledge (preceded by
brother Hank, and sister Xander who accidentally fledged when she fell off
the edge a few days too early when exercising her wings - but thankfully
was rescued from the parking lot below, rehabbed and is fine).
Confession time! Much of the last couple of weeks, and this weekend,
were spent glued to my laptop screen.
I've been addicted/watching the hatching, growing, and then fledging of the four
precious Peregrine falcon chicks from their nesting area on a 13th floor
window ledge of an office building in Manchester, NH.
This building was actually where my husband worked for a few years early
in his career - and visited many times on business for his company in the years
following when we moved away from Manchester, first to Massachusetts and
then in 1977 here to Raleigh, NC.
This pair of handsome falcons have raised chicks on the ledge with the sheltering
box, perch, cameras etc., for many years and the annual springtime process has
a large following of birders and bird lovers from all over.
Watching those tiny balls of white fluff grow and thrive, and with such caring
parents, has helped me with the stress of being self-quarantined during all
the sadness of the current time in our country and around the world.
were spent glued to my laptop screen.
I've been addicted/watching the hatching, growing, and then fledging of the four
precious Peregrine falcon chicks from their nesting area on a 13th floor
window ledge of an office building in Manchester, NH.
This building was actually where my husband worked for a few years early
in his career - and visited many times on business for his company in the years
following when we moved away from Manchester, first to Massachusetts and
then in 1977 here to Raleigh, NC.
This pair of handsome falcons have raised chicks on the ledge with the sheltering
box, perch, cameras etc., for many years and the annual springtime process has
a large following of birders and bird lovers from all over.
Watching those tiny balls of white fluff grow and thrive, and with such caring
parents, has helped me with the stress of being self-quarantined during all
the sadness of the current time in our country and around the world.
Maddie & Woodsie enjoying their time together - they were
exceptionally loving toward each other, once even lying next to each other
and Maddie putting his wing over Woodsie, which was very sweet to see.
Woodsie - last to fledge on Sunday evening. . . . . . . .
. . . . . after several hours of mom and dad bringing food, dangling it
before him but flying off with it and not allowing him to eat - cajoling him to
fledge and meet back up with his siblings on a lower roof where the real
training in flying and feeding would begin - Woodsie, flapped his wings and
took a leap of faith from the perch!
Parents assist their youngsters with finding food for another month or so,
then the babies are on their own and fly away to find a home elsewhere.
Apparently these parents will return to this nesting site throughout
the year. . . . . hopefully they'll have another family next spring.
Mom telling Woodsie last evening, "it's time to fly away baby boy."
Second confession - I took hundreds of screen shots and videos of the
falcons - just sharing a few here before I head off to work on learning
how to use new Blogger today. It's pouring rain and dark and dreary so
no garden chores required - a good day to stay in and focus on
something I've been putting off for too long!
Here's to a good week ahead. . . .I'll be watching my garden birds only.
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