Bell and her mate are now incubating four eggs in the nest box on the Washington Mutual Tower. Egg dates were 3/31, 4/2, 4/4, and 4/7.
Although we confirmed Bell’s identity in the fall by reading her VID band, no one had reported her at close enough range to re-confirm over the winter. However, in early March, we got a digital photograph of her finishing a pigeon meal on the IDX tower, with her VID band plainly visible. She first bred here as a two-year-old in 1995, so it was wonderful to know that we might be able to follow her through yet one more nesting season.
A few days before she laid her first egg, we saw her on camera for the first time since 2002! She stood in the scrape in her pre-laying fluffiness, as round as a feathered balloon. As is typical during egg lethargy, her eyes lost the intent, evaluative gaze of the predator, and she appeared largely indifferent to the world beyond the ledge, except when she spotted her mate.
The jury is still out on the identity of her mate. For better or worse, he is very similar in plumage to her mate of all the past years. Whoever he is, he appears to be diligent in attending to his incubation duties.
Other Seattle peregrines are incubating, too. The birds at the Ship Canal Bridge and the Grain Terminal are on eggs. This is the third nesting attempt for the banded adults (he’s Stewart and Bell’s offspring) at the Ship Canal. The Grain Terminal female appears to be the same bird that successfully fledged four young last year; we haven’t yet identified her mate. There have been several observations of a male at the West Seattle site, but many more of the female by herself. However, she still has plenty of time to attract a mate and nest this season.
