Volunteers this week wrapped up their annual Falcon watch and rescue program as the four young Peregrine falcons have recently fledged from the nest located on the 15th floor ledge of the Rachel Carson State Office Building in Harrisburg.

Three of the four young falcons fledged successfully.  The fourth falcon, the black-banded male, was discovered dead on a low roof below the nest ledge on June 7.  This fledgling impacted some portion of the building, likely a window or skylight. These hazards have been a significant mortality factor over the past 15 years and are typical of urban nest sites.

The other three fledges are doing well, getting flight lessons from the adults. This includes in-flight food transfers providing them with the challenge of attaining food with reliance on their own flight skills.

DEP received an email on June 3 from FalconCam watcher Judith Smith of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, thanking the volunteers for their assistance to DEP in keeping the fledglings safe.

"...I just wanted to see the peregrine fledge watchers acknowledged publicly for their incredible dedication in rescuing a second fledgling this season, the fledge today being especially fraught with danger for the young falcon who would almost certainly have met an early death if the fledge watchers had not been there at 5:30 in the morning to protect her," Smith said.

DEP made a short video of one such rescue that happened on June when one of the fledglings got stuck on the 16th floor balcony. Watch as wildlife officials rescue the falcon and re-release it on the roof.

For more information, visit DEP’s Falcon Cam webpage.

(Reprinted from June 12 DEP Newsletter. To sign up to get your own copy, Click Here.)

6/16/2014