Dunn Memorial Bridge Falcon Nest
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The image above is from a previous shot of the
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Viewing the Nest
The image is no longer a live image of the nest box, and will not refresh every minute. The image that is shown was taken earlier in the nesting season after the chick was born. For details about the 2010 nesting season, review the information below.
July 23 Update and 2010 Nest Summary
This year's nesting season at the Dunn Memorial Bridge was unusual in a number of ways. First, was the pairing of the female with a male that still had immature plumage. This immediately raised questions as to whether the female would even lay eggs this year. The female did lay four eggs, although a couple of weeks later than usual, and two of those eggs hatched. The incubation period was also several days longer than expected. So far, so good.
Two chicks hatched on the evening of May 28th. Six days later, one of the chicks apparently died and was removed from the nest box by one of the adults. The adults continued to feed their remaining chick, but at the age of about 3 ½ weeks, we noticed that the chick's tail and wing feathers were not as well developed as is typical of peregrine chicks that age. It appeared that the chick was being well fed, and from that point on, feather development seemed to continue at the normal rate.
The chick first left the nest box at a little over five weeks, an activity that typically first occurs at a little more than four weeks. Once outside of the nest box, the chick appeared to be active and agile on top of the concrete pier as it finished growing and exercising in preparation for its first flight. It fledged in Mid July at around seven weeks old instead of the usual six weeks.
The early fledgling stage is very challenging for all birds, and attempting those first flights from nest sites in urban environments poses additional hazards. Since 1998, a total of 33 young have fledged from the Dunn Memorial Bridge. We know that five of those died shortly after fledging. Three landed in the river and were not able to swim to shore, and two were hit by vehicles on top of the bridge. On July 17th, this year's single fledgling was found on the sidewalk on top of the bridge. Not yet a strong flyer, the bird likely flew very low over the bridge and was hit by a passing vehicle. A veterinarian who specializes in the care of birds of prey determined that its injuries were too severe to repair, and on July 20th, the bird was euthanized.
On a brighter note, another pair of peregrine falcons has been nesting on the Route 7 Bridge over the Hudson River in Troy. A pair was first confirmed on the bridge in 2007 and the Department of Transportation (DOT) installed nest boxes in 2009. Four young fledged from the box that year, and another four chicks successfully fledged in 2010. Information on viewing opportunities at that nest site will be posted on the web site next year.
What to Expect During the Nesting Season
Occasionally, eggs fail to hatch because they are infertile, because the embryos fail to develop for some reason, or because the developing embryos died at some point. Biologists from DEC may collect unhatched eggs from the nest box and attempt to determine why they failed to hatch.
The following is a brief description of what you can expect to see during the six week period of nestling development.
Week 1
For the first week or so after hatching peregrine falcon chicks are unable to control their body temperature and the adult falcons will keep the chicks warm by covering them with their bodies. This is called brooding. When it's cold outside, the chicks may only be visible as they are being fed.
The adult female will spend most of her time with her new brood while the male hunts. He will kill and deliver enough birds to the nest box to feed his mate and the chicks. Prey include a variety songbirds as well as pigeons, blue jays, woodpeckers and shorebirds, and prey remains will often be visible in the nest box. As with incubation, the male broods the young whenever the female leaves the nest.
Week 2
During the second week, the chicks will still be covered with white down feathers and will grow rapidly. They become too large to fit underneath the adults and will huddle together in the back of the nest box to keep warm. Although they are able to hobble around on flat feet, they do little but eat and sleep.
It is not unusual for some chicks in a brood, especially those first hatched, to become larger, stronger and more aggressive than the others. While smaller and meeker chicks may have to wait until larger, more aggressive nest mates have had their fill, the adults at the Dunn Memorial Bridge have almost always provided enough food for all of the chicks hatched to grow and develop to the stage where they attempt to fly.
Last year was the first time that a chick died in the nest box prior to fledging.
Weeks 3 and 4
By the third week, darker body feathers begin to emerge through the fluffy white down and by week four the nestlings will have completely lost the downy chick appearance. They are strong enough to stand on their toes and move all around the nest box.
Typically at about 41/2 weeks, the chicks begin to venture out of the nest box to explore more of their surroundings and to exercise their wings and legs. They will spend less and less time in the nest box, and better viewing opportunities will be from the Rensselaer Riverfront Park.
Week 6
When about six weeks old, the chicks will attempt to fly. The first flights will be from the top of one pier beneath the bridge to the next pier. This is a very critical time for the young of many bird species, and some of the falcon chicks may not fledge successfully.
Watchable Wildlife
There are three ways to view the nesting season activities of these Peregrine Falcons:
- You may choose to view the nesting activity via your computer by bookmarking this page. Here you have an opportunity to view a still photograph which is updated every minute during daylight hours. You may click on this image for a larger view.
- A kiosk containing a TV monitor is located on the Concourse level of the Empire State Plaza in Albany from late March through the nesting season. This provides a live video feed from the nest box. For directions to the Empire State Plaza Concourse and parking, visit the web site of the New York State Office of General Services.
- Visit the Rensselaer Riverfront Park on Broadway in the City of Rensselaer. From this vantage point you can watch the adults as they hunt for prey and defend their nesting territory. Once prey is caught it is either consumed immediately by the adults, brought back to the nest box to feed young, or cached (stored) for later consumption. You may also observe the young falcons once they venture out of the nest box onto the top of the concrete bridge pier where they feed, loaf and exercise their wing muscles in preparation for the first flight. A kiosk at the park contains information about the falcons as well as other Watchable Wildlife opportunities in the region. Bring along a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope for optimal viewing opportunities.
Directions to the Rensselaer Riverfront Park: The entrance to the park is on Fifth Avenue, a very short street that takes you into the Park from Broadway in Rensselaer. Fifth Avenue is immediately opposite a Dunkin Donuts shop, and is several hundred feet north of the on ramp to head West on Routes 9 & 20. There is a sign for the Park on Broadway.
Credits
The generous financial support of Level3 Communications Company provided the foundation for this project, covering equipment and installation costs for the basic video system. Niagara Mohawk Power Company assisted with power needs on the Dunn Memorial Bridge and Crown Castle Communications assisted with installation of the microwave receiver on the Corning Tower building of the Empire State Plaza. Staff from the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Transportation and the State Office of General Services all contributed to making the video camera project possible, and the City of Rensselaer maintains the wildlife viewing area at Riverfront Park in Rensselaer.
