Part 7. The Ds take flight
This blog is short on words and long on photos. The photos tell this story. Once the Ds took flight I realized what a perfect site Dee and BJ had chosen. The 3 hatched and the nest site was big enough and provided safety from Great Horned Owls. There was plenty of room to keep them hidden until they were ready to leave the scrape. Once they started moving around they had plenty of room. Dee and BJ fed them in the same place that was tucked completely out of site. They grew to fledge age without any issues. Once they fledged the area around allowed them to explore the cliff when they still didn't have the strength and skills for anything but short flights, hop-flight and jump-flight. The parents could easily sit on a high perch and watch over them. They often took diving flights to bring food and check on them. As they began to take flight a parents was always with them or watching carefully. Any bird bigger than the parents were escorted out of the area. On about the third day after fledge one fledgling, maybe the eldest, suddenly took flight and headed down river. BJ burst into flight and powered into flight to join her and guide her back. For the next few days she stuck close to the cliff.
These birds will spend time flying on their own and experimenting with the wind. They will do shallow climbs and dives, they will experiment with a steep climb that takes them to the point of stalling out, they will practice all types of turns.
They will conduct many mock battles. In fact, when two are in the air it will be a mock battle or a race. They are like little kids trying to prove who is faster or more fierce. Although they come close actual contact is rare.
One day BJ led them away. At the start of the flight two who followed closely couldn't help themselves and kept pausing to battle each other. The third followed Dee. They were gone for over an hour. As they tired the first returned with Dee and the other two came in when they couldn't fly any further. I knew my time with them was done. They would fly further and further away. They would find new cliffs to explore. They would roost elsewhere. For the next few months the parents will teach them to hunt, to protect and everything else they need to know to survive.
Early in the season BJ presents a prey gift to Dee.
When I think about Peregrines in cities, on power plants, on bridges I realize what a better chance of making it to adulthood these birds have. If they can get past being predated by Great Horned Owls, these young have a safer environment to gain flight expertise. As they practice flying skills with dives and climbs, playing with the wind, and carrying on mock-battles with their siblings there is little danger. Prey birds are plentiful.
I cannot imagine a reason that any of these birds would nest anywhere but on a cliff. Those numbers will quickly multiple each year.
To watch these birds gain skills they provided us with some of the most spectacular moments I could ever hope for.