In January of , a webcam was installed inside the box in the hopes of opening a window into the world of the Wilmington Peregrine Falcons for all of our viewers. Little did we know that during the peak viewing season after those little darlings hatch! Every year is a new experience and always filled with some drama, oftentimes a wild and exciting fledging event or two as the young falcons take that leap of faith for their first flight.
The best viewing vantage point to witness the fledging, flight lessons and feeding of the young falcons is from atop the City Center Parking Garage off of 11th Street directly across from the nest box. Two new cameras have been installed to give views outside the nest box. These will really help when fleglings are present but they will also allow you a chance to see the adult falcons when they are outside the nest. Both outside cameras have programmed sequences to pan nearby roofs as you watch, however, an operator my take control of them to actively search for falcons.
February โ courtship begins with individual visits to the nest box, and nesting scrapes begin to appear. Mostly made by the male, the scrapes are circular depressions formed by the falcon lowering its chest and pushing the pebbles to form a cavity for the eggs to be laid.
Later in the month, both falcons will appear and perform courtship bowing and vocalizations, oftentimes resulting in mating. March โ courtship and bonding behaviors continue and defense of the nest box and territory from interlopers can prove to be dramatic, resulting in a life-or-death battle.
Egg-laying happens during this month and incubation begins. The falcons typically lay between eggs, spaced days apart. Both adults incubate the eggs with incubation lasting from days from egg-laying. May thru June โ Once the eyases little new ones appear, both adults will tend to the newborns.
