by Chris Martin, Senior Biologist
With fledging of this year’s Brady Sullivan Tower Peregrine Falcon chicks, and their absence from camera view on Single Digits’ nest box webcam, some of you might be feeling the twinge of ‘empty nest’ syndrome. But cheer up! We have some good news.
One of 2018’s Brady Sullivan Tower fledglings has recently been documented alive and well 190 miles southwest in New Jersey! Wildlife photographer Stefan Vozarik encountered 2018 fledgling ‘Chase’ (black/green 85/BV) on June 9, 2019 along the Hudson River at Palisades Interstate Park in Bergen Co., NJ.

Female Chase was the last chick to fledge from the Manchester NH nest box on June 17, 2018, an event captured on video (see 3:38 of the video for the crucial moment). Stefan’s photos, seen here from June 9, show quite clearly that Chase is in process of shedding her brown juvenile feathers and replacing them with her steely blue-gray adult plumage. The photo below (taken by Sean Gillery) shows Arthur Sullivan and myself banding Chase in Manchester on May 31, 2018.

In 19 years, we’ve banded all 57 fledglings produced by Manchester’s Peregrines since they began nesting in the city in 2001. Since then, we have documented subsequent encounters (alive or dead) with nearly 50% (28 of 57) of these banded fledglings, including Chase.
 

Thanks for your continued support of NH Audubon’s Peregrine Falcon monitoring and management efforts, which we do in collaboration with NH Fish & Game’s Nongame Wildlife Program.