Peregrine at the Tarentum Bridge, 4 Feb 2025 (photo by Dave Brooke)

6 March 2025

There’s a lot of peregrine news in southwestern Pennsylvania right now as mated pairs prepare to nest. Our earliest couple is already on eggs at the Tarentum Bridge.

Tarentum Bridge, Allegheny River:

On Tuesday 4 March Dave Brooke saw the gray lump of a peregrine’s head laying low in the nestbox. This position usually indicates incubation is in progress, particularly if the bird does not move around.

Female peregrine apparently incubating at the Tarentum Bridge, 4 March 2025 (photo by Dave Brooke)

Last year the Tarentum Bridge female laid eggs approximately 21 February so it is very likely she’s on eggs right now at this location:

Tarentum Bridge nestbox (photo by Amber Van Strien)

Cathedral of Learning, Univ of Pittsburgh:

Ecco and Carla are on the National Aviary falconcam several times a day now as they court and prepare their nest. Yesterday their third courtship session lasted five minutes and Carla puttered at the nest for more than eight minutes. The length of both activities indicates how close they are to nesting.

Ecco and Carla court at the nest, 5 March 2025 (snapshot from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

This 2+ minute video is just a small part of their courtship yesterday. There is a fade-to-black transition when Carla begins puttering.

Watch for eggs in the next two weeks on the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh.

Sewickley Bridge, Ohio River:

Happy news at the Sewickley Bridge! Yesterday, 5 March, I had to run an errand in Sewickley so I stopped by the Chestnut Street boat ramp (in the rain!), saw a peregrine at the nestbox and told Jeff Cieslak. After the rain ended Jeff found both peregrines at home, one in the nestbox and one on the pier near the nav light. Woo Hoo! Thank you, Jeff, for requesting this nestbox last year and thanks to PennDOT for installing it.

Peregrine in nestbox and one on the pier at Sewickley Bridge, 5 March 2025 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

Spruce Run Bridge, Ohio River:

Female peregrine at Spruce Run, 11 Feb 2025 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

Jeff Cieslak checked for peregrines along the Ohio River throughout February. He found the female at her Spruce Run home on the 11th and what seems to be both of them on nearby Neville Island on the 25th.

One, maybe two, peregrines on a Neville Island smokestack in the Spruce Run territory, 25 Feb 2025 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

Eckert Street / McKees Rocks / Brunot Island, Ohio River:

Peregrine on the Alcosan smokestack, Eckert Street territory, 11 Feb 2025 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

The “Eckert Street peregrines,” who didn’t nest at Eckert Street last year, have so many places they could choose to nest that they are hard to keep track of. Last month Jeff Cieslak found one hanging out on the Alcosan smokestack and the other on a nearby power tower.

Male peregrine in the Eckert Street/McKees Rock territory appears to be immature, 11 Feb 2025 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

Jeff’s photos indicate the male is in immature plumage. Though young, there are records of male peregrines breeding at this age so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

Westinghouse Bridge, Turtle Creek near Monongahela River:

Female peregrine at the Westinghouse Bridge, 25 Feb 2025 (photo by Dana Nesiti)

Male peregrine at the Westinghouse Bridge, 25 Feb 2025 (photo by Dana Nesiti)

On 25 February Dana Nesiti found both peregrines at home at the Westinghouse Bridge. He suspects that courted near the scrape as well though he couldn’t see tit.

PEREGRINE SUMMARY FOR SOUTHWEST PA: Here are all the potential sites and latest sightings. Help fill in the blanks by visiting one of them.