Diving at speeds approaching 200 mph is the peregrine falcon. It is possible for you to see it and two other falcon species in the Times News coverage area. Kestrels (the smallest) nest here and can be seen often perched on utility wires. Merlins, a bit larger than kestrels, make an appearance both spring and fall as they stop to feed on their yearly migrations. The merlin numbers seem to be increasing based on my more regular sightings. Also, pleasantly increasing in numbers, is the “peregrine.”

Peregrines were once called duck hawks. The name was rather appropriate because a large percentage of their diet is waterfowl, especially in the northern Arctic regions and coastal Greenland where most of them breed. Today, with less wild areas in the northeast available, many of the eastern peregrines nest on skyscraper ledges and have a fondness to nest on the city’s big bridges. Locally, Thomas Rehn (1907) reported peregrines nesting on the cliffs at Lehigh Gap.

Peregrine falcons, which were extirpated from the eastern U.S. by 1970, are now making a recovery. In my first full year of data collecting at Bake Oven Knob in 1976, eight peregrines were recorded migrating past the “Knob. Bake Oven Knob, over the past three seasons, has recorded an average of 50 a season. In the 2018 season, 78 falcons were recorded.

Peregrine falcons, bald eagles, ospreys and brown pelicans all suffered from the effects of DDT. But since its ban in 1972 and extensive “hacking programs,” the numbers have been steadily rising. Hacking is the process where chicks hatched in captivity are placed in man-made towers and an army of volunteers using puppets resembling the parent birds fed the chicks until they were able to leave the nest. Over 2,000 chicks have been raised and released via hacking.

In nature, females lay two to four eggs, incubate them for about 30 days, and if successful, the chicks leave the nest in about six weeks. The PPL building in Allentown has served as a nesting site for peregrines. Bridges in Wilkes-Barre, Harrisburg and Philadelphia all host nesting falcons, too.

The peregrine falcon is 16 inches in length, about the size of our common crow, and has long, rather pointed wings. They are very streamlined and extremely fast flyers. They usually don’t try to catch their prey on the ground due to their inability to stop quickly, but they tend to dive at a flock of ducks, shorebirds or pigeons, scattering them and grabbing their prey from the air. I mentioned pigeons, because the city nesting sites offer them a buffet of pigeons and often gulls as well.

To have the best chance at viewing falcons, October is the prime month for their migration past the “Knob” and Hawk Mountain. However, most peregrine falcons migrate coastally and probably Cape May, New Jersey, will give you the best opportunity. The Cape May Hawk Count last year reported over 480 falcons. You may have to be lucky to see one in this area, but if things continue to improve, your chances will increase, if you “get out there.”

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: When a hawk, especially a falcon, makes a dive after prey it is said to be making a _____. A. foray, B. kettle, C. stoop, D. curbside pickup.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: Ravens, robins, song sparrows, chickadees, can all be found locally in winter, however the wood thrush “travels” to Central and South America.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.