The Tacoma Peregrines are incubating four eggs. This photo of the female falcon "Mickee" was taken on May 2, 2001. (photo by Kip Wylie) The Tacoma Peregrines are laying eggs now. This photo of a falcon egg was taken on April 4, 2001. (photo by Kip Wylie)

July 2-11, 2001-- Roger Orness watched the three remaining falcon fledglings perched on the bridge and the old Weyerhauser building on July 11th. Charles Newling spotted two of the fledglings flying around the bridge and downtown area on July 2.

June 17-19, 2001-- Roger Orness saw the four falcon fledgings perched on the Murray Morgan bridge along with the two adult falcons on June 17th.
    On June 19th, a local falconer who works in downtown Tacoma saw one of the fledglings as it flew directly into a passing train and was killed instantly.
   For many of us this is a sad shock. Unfortunately, it does happen and that is the downside of watching the peregrines grow.
   "Over the years, we have learned this is a fairly frequent occurrence among city peregrines" said Bud Anderson, of the Falcon Research Group.
   "All of this is a normal, albeit sad, biological process. The figures quoted for first year mortality among raptors ranges from 50-90%. This is the first we know of for the Tacoma peregrines."

May 30, 2001-- The four falcon eyasses were banded today by Bud Anderson, Mark Prostor, and Kip Wylie.

July 11, 2001-- This note was sent to us by Roger Orness:
Wednesday 7/11, 19:30 from Cliff Street, 2 fledgling Peregrines were on the bridge center span near the west tower, then displacing each other on the NW cable drum, and on a cable over the east counter weight, and finally settled on a low beam under the east ctr.wt. Viewed them from the east side, on D street, when I spotted the third fledgling on the old Weyerhaeuser building, east face, just below the top ledge. The male size fledgling from the bridge joined the female size fledgling on OWB, and the other female size fledgling took off from the bridge flying toward the same spot ,and almost arrived in time, as the adult male Peregrine delivered prey to the female, that was there first. The fledgling male chased after the departing adult, north around the Frank Russell building, then later joined his siblings on the OWB. Did not see Mickie.

July 2, 2001-- This note was sent to us by Charles Newling:
At 4:44 p.m. PDT (16:44), it was clear and sunny, about 79 degrees F, with a northwest wind of about 5-10 mph. I walked onto the west end of the 11th Street Bridge but stopped right there as a saw one of the adult falcons (I wasn't certain which) zoom over my head about 75-100 feet up heading west between the Old Weyerhaeuser Building (OWB) and the Perkins Building. Shortly thereafter, the adult was joined by a juvenile and they circled over and around the OWB in what appeared to be almost aerial cavorting in a game of chase and talon tag. (Was the now flying baby begging mom or dad for food?) Most of this was happening at and above the 9th and 10th floor levels. The adult lands on the top edge of the south side (west end) of the OWB. Then the juvenile lands on a ledge just below the crest on the east side (south of center) of the OWB. While I was watching the two of them, a third falcon, another juvenile, appeared overhead circling the OWB in a clockwise direction. Quickly, the two perched falcons took to flight and soon all three were cavorting around and above the OWB, then between the OWB and the Frank Russell Building.
    (Note: The juveniles were distinguishable from the adult as follows. The adult appeared 10% bigger than the juveniles when they were flying in close formation. The juveniles appeared to be identical in size. The adult had distinct black "helmet strap" markings in the side of its head; the juveniles had the "helmet strap" markings and the were dark, but more of a dark brown, not black. The adult had distinct black markings on the breast; the juveniles had buffy brown markings on the breast--a brown like the one seen on mostly grown, pre-molt mallard ducks. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good enough look at the adult to be certain if it was "Guy" or "Mickee". I suspect it was Guy because this adult was not all that much bigger that the juveniles and I couldn't see the somewhat orange tinge to the breast that Mickee seems to have. But I didn't get a good enough look to satisfy myself with certainty which one it was.)
    16:52 I have lost sight of the adult and one of the juveniles. The second juvenile has landed on the southeast corner of what appears to be a porch or deck on the southeast end of the Frank Russell Building at about the 12th floor. The juvenile is facing northwest into the wind and onto the porch/deck. The juvenile simply rests without much falcon activity for about the next 20 minutes. During this time, I notice other birds, primarily pigeons and gulls flying in the general vicinity. The gulls did not seem excessively concerned if they even knew a falcon was nearby. Perhaps they were big enough not to be hassled. The pigeons seemed to act a little differently. Many pigeons passed north and south along the west side of the waterway. However, they stayed very low and flew extremely fast. It almost seemed like they knew that crossing the 11th Street bridge area was not safe so stay low and get pass it fast. Maybe its just may imagination. There were two pigeons that were sitting atop the build just east of the Perkins build. They seemed very wary. Periodically, they would fly slowly off the roof but they stay very close to the face of the building.
    17:13 The same juvenile is still in the same perch on the Frank Russell Building. However, one juvenile I had not seen lifts off the top edge near the center of the OWB and circles clockwise around the building. Just as it turns west around the top floor of the OWB, a pigeon happens to be flying west along 11th Street at about the 3rd floor level. The pigeon sees the falcon, immediately darts down and hugs the west edge of the Perkins building making a flank speed emergency left turn around building. The pigeon clearly was taking evasive action in response to seeing the falcon. The juvenile falcon up at the 10th floor elevation probably saw the pigeon but wasn't interested. (Do they know how to catch their own prey yet? Maybe it wasn't hungry. Maybe it just wasn't the right tactical set-up.) The juvenile falcon simply continued its counterclockwise turn around and over the OWB and out of sight.
    17:17 The flying juvenile reappears flying between the top floors of the OWB and the Frank Russell Building. At this point, the juvenile resting on the Frank Russell Building, leaves its perch and joins the flying juvenile. They begin the "cavorting" flight-chase, close maneuver, talon tag.
    17:20 I lose sight of one of the juveniles; they other returns to the same perch high on the southeast corner of the porch/deck on the Frank Russell Building. At this point I have to make an appointment and depart the area.

June 17, 2001-- This note was sent to us by Roger Orness:
Just back from Canada at 4:30 Saturday, I headed for the museum to see the Peregrines and nothing was on camera. From Cliff Street, I found all 6 Peregrines, 2 adults on the East tower, 2 eyasses on the South end of of the West counter weight, under the camera. One fledgling was on the upper beam of the East tower, and the other fledgling was on the lowest beam of the West tower, below the counter weight. Then Guy flew off fast to the city, scattering some small birds, and seen later on the patio hand rail on the Southeast corner of Frank Russell. I watched for an hour, and saw all there was to see in the first 5 minutes. The fledglings spent half the time lying down, sometimes just out of my view, but not from Mickie's.

May 28, 2001-- This note was sent to us by Ruth Taylor:
Cass Dahlstrom and I headed to Tacoma yesterday to observe the peregrines. About 1115, we spotted Mickee perched on a window ledge on the east side of the Key Bank during a driving rain. We headed for food, and then peeked at the monitor just in time to see the big pile of white fluff differentiate into four eyasses, when she dropped by the box without food. By then the rain had stopped, though the wind hadn't, and we headed back to the parking lot just east of the Wells Fargo building.
    Observations are between 1250 and 1429.
    We located Mickee perched on a ledge on the old Weyerhaeuser Building, with a crop. Her breast color appeared almost coppery. After a few minutes, she headed for the bridge at high speed, looped around the bridge, returned, and disappeared between the Perkins & Weyer. buildings.
    We then spotted what appeared to be Guy, flying with smallish prey toward the Washington Bldg. He briefly disappeared & may have cached the prey. Then both birds circled and swooped back and forth at high speed, cutting in and out of the air space around the three older buildings. Mickee landed on Wells Fargo, but then flew, gained elevation, and made a 45 degree stoop toward the 11th St. Bridge to dive on a gull. She must have been practicing for when the young fledge and the adults will clear their air space. Both Mickee and gull disappeared behind the bridge.
    A few minutes later, Guy flew to a window ledge on the Key Bank Bldg. Mickee reappeared and made a beeline for the nest box. She landed on top of the box, transferred prey from her foot to her beak, and hopped down and into the box.
    Guy began cutting aerial Zs east of the Wells Fargo Building and then ascended and glided toward the new bridge; he plummeted toward something on the other side of the river and disappeared. He reappeared, circled higher and higher, until he was little more than a dancing speck in my binoculars. Slowly, he circled and drifted east until he was probably almost over the 11th St. Bridge. He then slowly descended to the west, into the wind, wings swept back - he moved as smoothly and deliberately as if he were parting the wind before him and slipping between its layers. He posed in midair over the Wells Fargo Bldg., and then glided forward again, out of view.
    He returned, carrying prey, which he deposited on a well-feathered ledge on the Key Bank east side. Mickee swooped around and checked things out before rising to rest on the SE corner of Wells Fargo. Guy ate for a few minutes, before moving the medium size prey to a corner of the window ledge. Mickee flew toward him, he bowed, and she landed next to him and picked the prey up in her beak. He flew to another perch on the building. She sent a shower of feathers down as she plucked the prey and ate a few bites. Then she carried it to the nest box, where she hovered above the box before dropping down to the entrance. Fifteen minutes later, she left the nest box and returned to the old Weyer. Bldg., but not until she dazzled us with dips and banks and turns before she settled on a perch.
    Telling *what* they did doesn't begin to describe their mastery of the wind on a cold, blustery day or the subtleties of their coloring when they perched and we could scope them - or what it was like to see their wings above us.

May 22, 2001-- This note was sent to us by Charles Newling:
At 7:53 p.m. PDT (19:53) I began a series of observations starting at the television monitor at the Washington State Museum of History, and the 11th Street Bridge, ending at 21:16 when I departed the area. During this entire period of time, it was mostly clear with hazy sun and about 25 percent high cirrus cloud, about 75 degrees F, and light winds 5-10 mph from the west.
    19:53 I arrive at the television monitor and observe that one of the adult peregrines, apparently the male, "Guy", is in the process of feeding the four chicks. The direction, field of view, and focus of the camera seem excellent. I don't know how long the feeding has been going on, but Guy seems to be working on the remains of bird hind quarter, possibly that of a pigeon based on its size and colors. He is holding one leg as one of the chicks tears at the muscle. Shortly he lays it back down. He spends most of his time, with his back turned to me, vigorously tearing at the remains, then giving small pieces to the young. The chicks are now about twice the size they were when I last saw them eight days ago (5/14/01). Instead of fluffy white little balls with heads and beaks, they are now more bird-like in shape, covered with short white down, clumsily moving about on outlandishly, oversized feet. All four chicks seem healthy. The young have all been fed to the point that their crops could be seen to bulge.
    20:01 The feeding session is over. Guy jumps from the nesting box out into the area in front of the box. He hesitates for a second, then take flight leaving the field of view. In the nest box, the chicks huddle together and settle somewhat into a resting mode.
    20:03 I depart the television monitor location for the bridge itself.
    20:08 I arrive on the west end of the bridge. The adult female, "Mickee", is perched on the center of a steel girder spanning the east end of the bridge just above the east counterweight. Her body is facing north but most of the time she is looking back over her left shoulder in the direction of the nest box. She sits like a statue for an extended period.
    20:48 I haven't been able to locate "Guy". I move closer to the bridgework in hope of getting a better look. As I move, I see a bird, probably a peregrine, move quickly from one position high in the west end of the bridgework towards the center or east end. I lose sight of the bird and cannot confirm it was "Guy". "Mickee" is still perched at the same location on the east end of the bridge.
    (20:49 Official Sunset.)
    20:57 "Mickee" effortlessly leaves her perch, flies west through the mid-level bridgework I lose sight of her for a second or two among the steel girders. Now I see her, she's reversed route heading east again, and she's carrying a bird. How'd she do it so quickly? Did she just grab a stashed prey item? The light is fading and I can't tell for sure what she's got. Based on size and color, it may be a small pigeon but I am not certain. She lands on a flat plat on a girder near the top of the east counterweight. She commences busily, rapidly plucking her catch. Clumps of gray feathers float in the breeze from plucking point. Unfortunately the breeze is just strong enough to carry the feathers over the bridge at too high a level for me to catch any. (I can usually identify birds from feathers, but I couldn't catch any of these.) It looks like she may be doing more than plucking. All but the top of her head when she stands upright is obscured, but it looks like she is also eating.
    (21:00 There is still enough light to see the birds during this period of dusk, but the street lights on the bridge has just come on.)
    21:08 "Mickee" now moves over to the next beam to the east still carrying some of the remains of her catch. She picks at it periodically, but mostly stands upright and still (maybe letting her dinner settle?).
    21:13 "Mickee" leaves her perch flying west through the bridgework towards the center of the west counterweight near the nest box. I lose sight of her and couldn't tell if she was still carrying any of the prey.
    21:16 Adequate light to see clearly is rapidly waning. I depart.

May 17, 2001-- This note was sent to us by Roger Orness:
19:30. Catching the last 30 minutes of the museum open hours, I watched Mickie Peregrine brooding 4 eyasses, along with a lot of curious patrons passing by that beautiful display. She was keeping very close to them, only briefly revealing her treasures, when one would get into position to splat the mute. She seemed a little disturbed when one of the eyasses missed the open air and deposited one of the splats on her wing. Then the museum was closed.
    20:10 From the vacant lot off Dock Street, I found G.P. (Guy) Peregrine on the N.E. corner of the Wells Fargo building.
    20:23 He jumps off, flying hard east over the water, then a short glide where a small dark bird is seen, then was gone, as it became one with his talon. The kill was 1/4 mile east of his launch, just S.E. of the bridge over Woodworths, near D Street. He circles back to the bridge, landing high on the west tower at 20:25.
    Anticipating a feeding, I drove to the museum, where they positioned the monitor to view from the outside. Talking to security, I predicted the activity, then at 20:33 G.P. delivers the small plucked prey. Mickie feeds all 4 eyasses, but saved a last bite for herself, the leg of a likely Starling, then back to her brooding.
    20:50 Found G.P. on his favorite perch, the N.E. corner of Frank Russell.

May 14, 2001-- This note was sent to us by Charles Newling:
At 7:04 p.m. PDT (19:04) I began a series of observations rotating between the television monitor at the Washington State Museum of History, the vacant lot near the foot of the 11th Street Bridge (west end, south side), and back to the television monitor again, ending at 20:16 when I departed the area. During this entire period of time, it was overcast, about 54 degrees F, with continuous light showers and winds 5-10 mph from the northwest.
    18:04 I arrive at the television monitor and observe that one of the adult peregrines, apparently the female, "Mickee", is brooding the chicks. She occassionally repositions herself over the young ones, but remains quite still otherwise.
    18:14 With no change observed on the monitor, I decide to move over to the vicinity of the bridge to see if I can observe the other adult.
    18:19 I drive to and park in the vacant lot near the southwest end of the bridge (a location suggested to me by Roger Orness) where not only the bridge but several of the taller downtown buildings frequented by the peregrines can be observed. Despite using both field glasses (7 x 35) and a spotting scope (set at 20X), I cannot spot either falcon.
    18:45 I spot one of the adults leaving the location of the west counterweight near the nest box. It makes about a 100 yard clockwise turn rotating around the east end of the bridge then lands under a girder(apparently protected from the rain--and out of sight) just below the larger pulley wheel on the east end south side of the bridge top. In the gray twilight and through the rain, I could not be certain which adult peregrine it was.
    18:50 This adult leaves its sheltered location and flies directly back to the vicinity of the west concrete counterweight near the nest box.
    18:53 I decide to return to the television monitor to see if there is any action visible before it gets too dark for the camera to perform so I leave the vacant lot.
    18:56 I make it back to the television monitor and find one of the adults, apparently, "Guy", the male (because his breast is white with no hint of the orange-buff tinge of the female) actively feeding four readily discernable young. I watch carefully and can confirm the he actually give food to all four. The food item appears to be the hind quarter of a bird, possibly a pigeon. (Since he was already feeding them when I got to the television monitor, I don't really know how big the food item was when he started.) His feeding behavior was interesting to me. He would tear at the thigh and leg musculature which great vigor and strength to obtain very small bits. Then, with great gentleness, he would delicately and deliberately place the food bits directly into the beaks of the young. He fed them one at a time in sequence and seemed to give each of the four approximately the same amount of meat. When he was done, all that remained was the upper and lower leg bone, mostly denuded of flesh, and the complete foot.
    18:03 At this point, feeding is over and, to my surprise, he picks up and completely swallows this remainder of the leg and foot, essentially in one gulp-foot section last.
    18:04 Now he is settling down to brood the young and somehow gets them covered. He isn't quite as big as the female.
    18:16 All is calm and quiet. Guy is brooding the young. I depart.

May 11, 2001-- This note was sent to us by Charles Newling:
Preliminary note: This afternoon, I was able briefly to stop by the Washington State History Museum between 4:04 and 4:10 p.m. PDT (16:04-16:10). The museum had closed, but the television monitor with showing the falcon-cam view had been turned to face out one of the windows so it could be viewed without having to enter the building itself. The female peregrine ("Mickee") was attentively brooding her young. For the most part, she sat very still, even resting, closing her eyes. Occasionally would adjust her position over the young at which point one or more of the white little fluff balls could be seen.
    At 6:58 p.m. PDT (18:58) I arrived on the west end of the 11th Street Bridge in Tacoma, WA to observe the nesting pair of peregrine falcons using the bridge. The weather was as follows: Temperature about 69° F, about 90% overcast with high level clouds and filtered sunlight; there was a northwesterly breeze about 5-10 mph. My observations are detailed below.
    18:58 The male peregrine ("Guy") is sitting atop the catwalk on the east end of the bridge. There is no sign of Mickee, but I assume she is still brooding the hatchlings under the nesting structure (nest box) on the west end bridge counterweight.
    19:30 Although Guy has rotated occasionally, he hasn't moved more than a foot from the same location this entire time, mostly keeping watch in the direction of the nest box. I depart the bridge at this time.
    19:39-19:54 Once again, I stop by the Washington Museum of History to take a last look at the falcon-cam view. Throughout this period, Mickee attentively broods the chicks. Also, during this time, 12 people (including 3 families with children) stop to view the falcon family. I spoke with all of them. Universally, their reaction to the television view from the falcon-cam was enthusiastic. I also told them about the website www.tacomafalcons.org which was of particular interest to one of the men. One individual mentioned that he had seen an article about the peregrines in the (Tacoma?) newspaper and was very interested in finding more information about them.
    Final note: Based on correspondence with Greg Pelletier, and re-evaluating my May 9, 2001 observation of Guy appearing out of nowhere with a dead bird, it is most likely that he had picked up a stashed prey item instead of outright having caught it at that time. Nonetheless, the quickness with which he performed the feat still impresses me.

May 9, 2001-- This note was sent to us by Charles Newling:
At 6:55 p.m. PDT (18:55) I arrived on the west end of the 11th Street Bridge in Tacoma, WA to observe the nesting pair of peregrine falcons using the bridge. The weather was as follows: Temperature about 59° F, about 90% overcast with mid- and high level clouds, and there was a light westerly breeze about 0-5 mph. My observations are detailed below.
    18:55 The male peregrine ("Guy") is sitting atop the catwalk banister on the east end of the bridge. There is no sign of the female, but I assume she is sitting on the eggs under the nesting structure (nest box) on the west end bridge counterweight. Guy is mostly sitting still except for a short round of preening.
    19:00 I could see him visually track a starling that was flying east to west over the lower deck rigging. While it was obvious he had momentarily "locked on" to the starling, he did not leave his perch. No activity can been seen at the nest box.
    19:11 Guy changed his position flying to a perch closer to the nest box when a gull flew by its vicinity. The gull kept going and didn't stop.
    19:12 Guy backs away a bit, flying to another perch high on the south side of the east end of the bridge.
    19:13 He leaves this perch and gently, effortlessly maneuvers between some of the bridge girders. In an instant I realize he has caught something. I didn't see him strike. He is carrying a smallish dark bird-it's the right size and shape for a starling but I can't tell for sure. He maneuvers up toward the nest box. He may be trying to deliver his catch, but at my angle I lose sight of him in the clutter of the deck rigging. I move a little closer trying to get a better viewing angle.
    19:16 I see him again, but not near the nest box. Instead, he is now standing on a ledge high in the rigging just east of center of the bridge. It's starting to get late enough that under these light conditions I can't tell for sure if he still has his catch, but he's acting like he's picking at it. Now he flies back down to the nest box. Perhaps this is a redelivery attempt. I briefly lose sight of him as he flares for a landing-I couldn't tell if he had the catch with him or not. I see him now. He is standing on my side of the counterweight in front of the nest box. He clearly does not have the prey. I still do not see the female peregrine.
    19:17 Guy flies back up to a perch high in the rigging on the east end of the bridge. He definitely does not have his prey. He wipes his beak and then stands very still.
    19:26 He flies down to the nest box. I can't see him when he lands. Is he just checking in?
    19:27 Guy flies back up to the high rigging on the south side of the east end of the bridge.
    19:30 All seems well with the falcon world. I never did see the female. I must depart.
    Final note: When the male peregrine caught the bird, it happened in an apparently effortless split second. I was looking right at him with my 7 x 35 field glasses and, yes, my vision was momentarily obscured by steel girders, but I never saw him strike. Never had a clue. He did not appear to be making any radical maneuvers. He just flew out from behind a girder and now he was carrying a smallish bird about the size and color of a starling. I was stunned. It reminded me of the little kid's cowboy joke: "Wanna see a quick draw? Wanna see it again?" [Editor's note: the behavior that Charle's saw could have been the male bringing a previously-killed stashed prey from the east counterweight over to the nest box on the west counterweight].

May 9-10, 2001-- Three of the four eggs were seen hatching on May 9th starting at about 7am. The fourth egg also hatched sometime between the 9th and 10th. Four healthy eyasses (young falcons) were seen on May 10th.

May 8, 2001-- We now have a live image of the nest on a TV monitor in the lobby of the Washington State History Museum in downtown Tacoma. The lobby is open to the public with no admission charge. For directions to the museum, visit their web site or call them at 1-888-238-4373.
   Yesterday, Mark Prostor and Bud Anderson were joined by Roger Orness, Greg Pelletier, Jerry Broadus and Clarice Clark at the bridge to install the camera.
    Mark and Bud returned today and did the final adjustments and then turned it on.
    David Lyles will be having an official opening hosted by our new friends at the Museum this Saturday at 2:00 pm. The eggs should be hatching about then as well.
    Mark Prostor worked his tail feathers off to get this project done. We wish you could all know just how much he has done. Thank you Mark!

May 2, 2001-- "The good news is that she has another 4 eggs!", said Bud Anderson, of the Falcon Research Group. "She is over halfway through incubation now."

April 15, 2001-- This note was sent to us by Roger Orness:
    I spent 2 hours on Easter Sunday hoping to see a Peregrine, and eventually observed them both. The male was first seen on the East tower catwalk, then he flew to the West counter weight, landing on the West edge, facing the box, just 6 feet away.
   He was there a few minutes, then began opening his mouth, as if he was trying to discharge a casting, but he might have been vocalizing. The traffic was preventing me from hearing him, if he was. Then he did a hop toward the box, out of my view.
   I could only see the top of his head, so I went up a few streets to get better angle. He had moved to the opposite side of the same West counter weight, again facing the box. I moved one more time and he was now out of view.
   Thinking the shift change was successful, I drove to Dock St., vacant lot, and found the female on the upper East tower hand rail.

April 4, 2001-- Tacoma's downtown Peregrine falcons have started laying eggs recently. This is the second year of breeding for the downtown falcons. "I'd expect that fledging will be a little earlier this year now that the adults are more experienced", said Bud Anderson, of the Falcon Research Group. "We need to know a little more before we can accurately predict dates of hatching".

January 25, 2001-- This note was sent to us by Roger Orness:
    I checked up on the Tacoma Peregrines on my day off, Monday. From Dock street, N. mariana vacant lot, I scanned the city, then found an adult on top of the ladder of the bridge's center span.
    A few minutes later, he flies to the N. end of the E. counter weight, just as the female lands on the S. end of the E. ctr. wt. They both hop into the ctr. wt. out of my view, and after some brief echups, they both emerge.
    They were still 25 feet apart. They both flew off together; female lands on upper west tower structure and the male circles back to land on the center of the upper span, then flies off.