Peregrine Falcons in Downtown Silver Spring

[Cass]

A couple weeks ago, I got a tip that there were falcons in downtown Silver Spring by the World Building and I was able to confirm a pair on the radio tower on November 16. There had been other reports by the Ripley building a little over a week before that and someone else saw one on November 16 as well, presumably after they flew away from the radio tower.

Today I relocated one on the same perch of the World Building radio tower so it seems likely they're staying awhile.

Years ago, I remember there was a pair that I saw sometimes and heard they had a nest on the Discovery Building, but in the last few years I've only seen sporadic sightings in downtown Silver Spring so I figured that was no longer the case. But here's to hoping they stay!

No photos today, but here are mine from a week ago:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S154579841

Cass

Silver Spring

[James Tyler Bell]

Please keep this in mind for next spring. It'll be the final year of the MD-DC Breeding Bird Atlas and PEFA hasn't been confirmed in that area at all!

Tyler Bell
jtyle...@yahoo.com
California, Maryland

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[Cass]

Do you need people to help out with downtown Silver Spring? I think I remember looking at the cells and all the ones where help was needed were somewhat out-of-the-way? I can definitely keep an eye out for the falcons, though. Fun fact: starlings love to hang out on the lower levels of the radio tower but have been absent whenever a falcon is perched there 

I also suspect a Common Raven nest in a particular area nearby but don't know the exact location of the nest. Would that be useful information too? 

[Cass]

The Peregrine pair have been continuing in Downtown Silver Spring. Been seeing them off and on at the same location and they seem to fly off north, northeast, or east. I'll try to find their other hangouts over time and see if they stay to make a nest!

https://ebird.org/checklist/S156315296

To follow up, based on a link to my block of the DC Bird Atlas I was sent, I see my raven nesting location was discovered back in 2022! I started seeing ravens in March 2022 and then found their home area in June 2023. I could have saved 10 months if I had checked the atlas! I've seen juveniles, I believe, this year, so they seemed to have another brood.

[rob.hil...@gmail.com]

Hi Cass, where are these ravens?

[Cass]

At the site of the old Walter Reed campus which is undergoing a lot of construction and development. They like to hang out on buildings surrounding the construction site between Children's National and the new Whole Foods. I tend to walk in by the parking garage on 13th pl from Fern st. and then turn right on Dahlia to get a nice view. 

They also venture around the area up into the south part of Downtown Silver Spring. 

The absolute best raven watching I know of is Shenandoah National Park in late fall or winter around Hawksbill or Big Stony Man. The ridge lift is very nice on the western slope there and they'll just play in it. Saw a couple dozen or more there over Thanksgiving week and they were doing all kinds of aerobatics and even playing games with a piece of wood or bark. I've had poor luck finding peregrines in the mountains in recent years, but if you do, they're delightful to watch in ridge lift as well. 

But I appreciate being able to take a short walk and see two of my favorite bird species even if there's not much lift to work with here!

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[JAMES SPEICHER]

Isn't it important to document multiple nestings over the life of the BBA3. Yes, guilty of not reading the "owner's manual..."

Jim Speicher 

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[Caleigh Larkin]

Had to update this thread: spotted the Peregrine pair atop the World Building radio tower this morning (3/29), and they mated! No photos, but assuming they're getting their nest ready for this spring.

Caleigh

Silver Spring

[Cass]

Amazing! 

I haven't seen them since January 25 and I've been taking walks past their regular haunts a few times a week, but I've noted other people have seen them by Metro and whole foods once or twice in the last two months.

Thanks for the update!

We should get them into the breeding atlas

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[Stella T]

Good morning,

Does anyone have updates on the peregrine? I just past by the World Building in a shuttle bus and couldn't make out what might be there from a distance.

Best,

Stella

Silver Spring, MD

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[Cass]

They've been mostly gone, unfortunately. It seems they were just here for the winter, unless they've just been stealthier.

I haven't seen them since January 25th. After that there was one report of them by Whole Foods in February and by Metro in March on eBird in addition to the copulation report here (though it never appeared on eBird).

The ravens at Walter Reed did nest there again this spring and at least two of the young survived (there were four chicks and then three fledglings), though I haven't seen or heard them in a few weeks.

[rob.hil...@gmail.com]

I saw 2 Peregrine Falcons in the past hour in downtown Silver Spring. At about 8:48 a.m. I was walking to my parked car in the parking lot for Ace Hardware, Whole Foods, CVS, etc. I spied a bird on an tall building's antenna a couple blocks away take off and fly southwest (left), land on the edge of the parking garage, interact with a second bird. One of those two then flew back to the antenna, calling once, and landed. This bird/these birds had long, narrow wings, and a long narrow tail.

At about 9:10 I returned to the parking lot with my binoculars, and verified that the bird perched on the antenna was an adult Peregrine Falcon, facing away from me.

Rob Hilton

Silver Spring