Falcon Fledglings

Windsor's Ambassador Bridge has a Peregrine Falcon nest box that is used yearly by the same pair of birds (usually the same pair, read about some falcon drama from last year in Windsor's newspaper). A typical number of chicks for falcons is 2-4, but this year there are 5 fledglings moving around and getting ready to make their first flights!

Here is one of the parents perched on the nearby church steeple yesterday, a favorite perching spot for them.

The same parent moved to the bridge to watch her young more closely. 

Yesterday I could only see four of the fledglings, and one was doing a lot of wing stretching. 

Today all five young were out of the nest and moving about, two of them doing lots of wing stretching. 

The one on the right in this photo seems pretty antsy - pacing back and forth, stretching lots, calling lots... 

The one on the right here did some wing stretching but mostly kept its head down where it had some food it's parent brought in right before I started getting photos.

Hopefully some more falcons flying around Windsor in the next week!

More Migrants

There are some pretty cool birds in the Windsor area! Here are the few I've actually been able to photograph in the last month:

Black and White Warbler

Green Heron

Red-eyed Vireo

Red-headed Woodpecker

Summer Tanager

Palm Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Black and White Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Song Sparrow

Prothonotary Warbler

Eastern Kingbird

Summer Tanager

Windsor's Breeding Birds

The number of birds that breed in Windsor becomes very clear at this time of year as tons of fledgling (recently left the nest) birds can be seen everywhere! Young European Starlings can be seen everywhere, this year's Canada Geese offspring are now teenagers, the Ambassador Bridge Peregrine Falcons have several chicks (reports of 5), and there is a new batch of American Robin and House Finch fledglings outside my office window. 

Two Robin siblings

Robin female after feeding one fledgling

One of the House Finch fledglings (mostly full feathers except the head tuft)

Three of the four Robin fledglings

Hopefully photos to come of the Peregrine Falcon chicks!