The sweet sorrow of saying so long
Both the Peregrines and the Kestrels are nearing the point of saying goodbye. I know many of you have incorporated checking in on the webcams as part of your daily routine. It is nice to see the birds have success, but there is uneasiness about seeing the young birds leave (and having nothing to watch). All six young American Kestrels have left their wooden box and are now facing the perils of the world. As those of you that have been wathching already know, the young Peregrines are not far behind. It is becoming less unusual for one or both of the young birds to be out of the nestbox and out-of-view of the webcams. They are hopping up on the limestone (not concrete!, as I’ve been appropriately corrected 
) and going around the corner. I have yet to see either take flight, but that first leap cannot be that far off. The birds will hang around the nestbox for a while, but they will just be making less and less face time as time goes on. As for now, here is some video, captured by Troy Kroeger, of the juvenile Peregrines getting a meal.
I use the term “juvenile” now because is appropriate, the birds are now in full juvenal plumage. This is the plumage comprised of a bird’s set of real feathers. I am drifting into some technical details about molts and plumages. So I will stop before I make a mess.
Technical details have been a bonus this year. Helps to better understand the timeline until the juveniles launch out–fly out on their own. Thank you again, for guiding us who check in on the family. Last year was my first to observe the family. Having the contextual and scientific information, plus the video feeds that document important family events, has anchored their progress. I moved from my home with a large yard in Illinois (where I had three feeding stations & many bird baths, where I watched many bird varieties year ’round), to a downtown condo in Lincoln, where I now watch my neighbors via your website. I would be lost without birds to watch. Thanks for helping me with my addiction.
Thanks Joel, for a great season, I know it is not over yet…. especially for me who will be chasing them all over downtown this summer on my lunch breaks as they learn to fly and hunt and play with each other. I am just so glad for the new camera (even though it makes me nervous sometimes seeing them so close up)
as I have been an avid falcon watcher for about 6 years now. And all your updates and all the pics and vids have been awesome! Your whole team does a great job. I also noticed one of the boys is bigger then the other, I was trying to remember how many days apart they were? It seems sometimes now the little guy is the braver one since he has ventured out of the box. Anyhow…. thanks again!!!!!
Around 3:44 p.m. Sunday. I saw something very interesting. Two adult peregrines, came around. The oldest of the fledgelings took off out the nest-box like a rocket. I assume the youngest who was standing on top, was being dive-bombed or it looked that way, by the two adults. I am curious if these two adults were the parents, and just telling the kid it’s time to fly or it was just two adults who wanted to use the nest-box, though I really assume it’s past time for raising a brood. I got to see some great slope soaring (as it would be called off a side of hill, but the Capitol probably serves that purpose nicely and some pretty good acrobatics, I was impressed! I never seen anything quite like that, and the most action I ever saw, including feeding!