26 January 2025
Since 2021 a pair of peregrines has claimed the Sewickley Bridge as their territory however there’s by no means been a profitable nest. Jeff Cieslak images the peregrines at this website and confirmed final April that the male was banded (black/inexperienced 05/S) and hatched at Pitt in 2010.
When the nest failed once more in 2024 and Jeff heard that PennDOT was going to restore the bridge, he contacted the PA Sport Fee and PennDOT to see in the event that they’d put up a nestbox. And so they did!
Right here’s the story and pictures from Jeff Cieslak at Our Day by day Hen on Fb:
“BIG NEWS: I can’t take any credit score for setting up or putting in it, however I’ll take 100% of the credit score for making it occur in any respect: PennDOT put in a falcon nest field on the southern pier of the Sewickley Bridge. The pair nesting there for the previous a number of years haven’t been in a position to elevate any younger, as a result of a dearth of excellent nesting websites. However they fight yearly, so when PennDOT introduced that they have been closing the bridge final April to do some enlargement joint work, I contacted them to allow them to know that it appeared that there was an energetic nesting try happening (although I used to be fairly certain it could fail). On the finish of a gathering with PennDOT, the PA Sport Fee, and myself, PennDOT agreed to put in a nest field below the PAGC’s route. Apparently, they put in it within the fall — however I simply came upon about it final week and went to see it immediately.
“Nesting season will begin in earnest across the starting of March, however they could begin checking the field out sooner. It will have been nice to see one hanging out within the neighborhood of the field immediately, however the falcons weren’t round this morning.
“Building pictures from PennDOT.”
— Jeff Cieslak, Our Day by day Hen on Fb, 12 January 2025
Early this month Mark Younger at PennDOT despatched Jeff these pictures which have been taken in the course of the set up on 1 November 2024.
Jeff checked it out on Saturday 11 January and despatched me this map of the very best place to view the nestbox space.
… and that is what you may see although binoculars or a zoom lens.
Peregrine nesting season is heating up. Keep tuned or go to the location your self to see what’s up.
For extra information and a each day dose of birds, comply with Jeff Cieslak’s Our Day by day Hen on Fb.
