Yep, 00/AE was finally released back into the wild late this morning at 101 Hudson! Fellow Peregrine Project volunteer Ray went out on the roof with me, while Bonnie and a Raptor Trust volunteer watched from streetside. Her parents, however, were highly territorial and weren't happy to see another Peregrine around, even though it was one of their offspring.
The adults were already soaring over 101 Hudson before we went outside. Bonnie texted me that there was a maintenance worker out on a roof area. When I opened the carrier on the nest roof area, she hopped out onto the roof, looked at me, and took off, climbing towards her parents. She made a loud chirping sound, and the parents promptly began dive-bombing her. The trio pushed northeastward toward the Hudson river, then turned and went south and out of our view. 00/AE's flying was very strong, her flapping was classic, and she avoided the dives of both parents! One would never have guessed she had a broken wing and had been in a cage for 3 and a half months! So despite our distress at seeing the parents' reaction, we were doubly impressed with 00/AE's tremendous response!
The building engineer who escorted us to the roof also saw the action from the doorway, and led Ray and I around to the roof on the south side of the building (same floor) to see what was happening (Bonnie and the RT volunteer did the same from the corner of York & Hudson, right below us). We stayed out there for at least 15 minutes watching the action. 00/AE went down to the roof of 70 Hudson St. (a low building about a block south), and she was standing in a puddle of water. Dad had stopped the attack and was perched on a parapet a few floors below us. Mom continued to fly around the youngster but was less aggressive. Both adults eventually flew out of view, and 00/AE took 2 nice baths in the puddle.
So Ray and I left the building (after trading falcon stories with a few building workers) and met up with Bonnie and our RT volunteer. The volunteer had to leave, so Bonnie, Ray and I walked out onto the Exchange Place pier. Mom was perched on the spike atop the Exchange Place building, while 00/AE was still on 70 Hudson, drying off her feathers and preening (the sun had finally come out by this time).
We watched 00/AE for quite awhile and were considering leaving when she took off, and Mom immediately dove after her again. The chasing and strafing resumed and continued back and forth between 70 Hudson and Exchange Place for several minutes (we only briefly saw Dad during this). Not long after we only saw Mom still flying and figured 00/AE had landed on one of the west side ledges at Exchange, and walked over to the corner of Columbus & Hudson.
00/AE was there alright, on a NW corner of a ledge, with Mom continuing to strafe her over and over again. Her legs came down during most of the passes and it seemed like she was trying to knock 00 off the ledge! But 00 wisely moved away from the ledge during the attacks and gradually shifted closer to the building itself. We didn't see Dad during this 3rd phase, and eventually Mom took a break and disappeared around some buildings to the west. We waited a few more minutes, and then called it a day.
Definately some mixed emotions this time around. All of us were distressed at the attacks, but at the same time extremely encouraged by 00/AE's tremendous flying. Her tail feathers are quite ragged, especially at the ends, so perhaps she's beginning a molt. That makes her performace all the more impressive, considering how important the tail is for manuevering! She is one tough young lady! So we keep our fingers and toes crossed that she leaves JC quickly and finds some good hunting ground.
I'm going back to JC for at least an hour tomorrow morning to have a look around.
Some pics will be coming in a little while (well actually quite a few pics, lol).
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