Good news! We thought there would be no fledglings in Seattle this summer, but we were wrong. On June 14, an observer discovered four large eyases in the ancient nest box at the Grain Terminal. Three females and a male were banded two days later, and they fledged around July 2nd and July 3rd. We were concerned about how the noise, fireworks display, and crowds associated with the Independence Day celebration on Elliott Bay might affect the youngsters, but all four young and both adults survived unscathed. The fledglings are now spending carefree days exploring their surroundings, chasing birds that they can't catch, and playing tag with each other, while the adults protect them from possible threats and provide food. By the end of last weekend, they were venturing out toward the Amgen project to the north and out over the water and were starting to swoop and dive on each other. Now, at about a week and a half on the wing, they are soaring over the west slope of Queen Anne Hill.
The adults appear to be the same birds that were hanging out at the Grain Terminal earlier in the spring; neither are banded, and the male is very similar to Stewart in appearance.
This is the second successful nest site in Seattle since peregrines began nesting here in 1994. There have been unsuccessful attempts at West Seattle and at the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge in the past, but this is the first site other than downtown to fledge young.
The pair that were attempting to nest in a ventilation pit on One Union Square failed; this was confirmed this week. Egg-laying was prolonged, the substrate is minimal, and it was a late attempt, so it was not a surprise that the nest failed. The adult female looks like Bell, but we haven't been able to read her VID band to confirm. The adult male's identity is unknown at this time.
