Instead of scrolling through Instagram on your lunch break, why not opt for an inside look at Wilmington’s resident peregrine falcons and their new eggs during nesting season?
Peregrine falcons have long been fan favorites of Delaware. The current birds taking up residence in the city are Red Girl, from Harrisburg, who was born in 2008 and moved to the city in 2010, and Trinity, who has been a Wilmingtonian since 2013.
Officials aren’t sure of Trinity’s origin since he is unbanded (banding helps track and identify birds), but we’re happy to call him an honorary Delawarean.
At this point, the falcons should probably be included in our next poll asking who the most famous Delawareans are!
Nesting season, which occurs in March and April, is when the falcons begin laying eggs after courting.
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Eggs typically begin incubation after the next-to-last egg is laid in a bird’s clutch (the total number of eggs laid per bird per nesting attempt), and will remain in this state for 33 to 35 days until they hatch, according to Defenders of Wildlife.
The city has several live cameras set up to capture these momentous events each year, and at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, the first egg of the season made an appearance.
While we don’t think the occasion warrants a falcon baby shower being held on camera, it’s still a lot of fun to see how the eggs, and eventual fledglings, grow.
If you tune in this year, you might catch the fledgling take its first flight!
This annual tradition dates back to 1992, when a nest box was installed on the Brandywine Building in Wilmington by Craig Koppie of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He installed the box after hearing downtown locals had witnessed falcon activities at the time.
In January 2010, a webcam was installed in the box in the hopes of educating the community about the lifestyle of local falcons. During peak viewing season, the webcam was viewed by more than 10,000 viewers in a day, according to the Delaware Ornithological Society.
Is it a coincidence that Red Girl began her Delaware tenure when the webcam appeared? We don’t know, but we can’t blame a girl for wanting her 15 minutes, more like 13 years and counting, of fame.
More:New visitor center at Delaware’s Bombay Hook, one of the nation’s best bird-watching spots
While you’re getting your beauty sleep at night or in the office for the day, the falcons are still out there working hard, and to make sure you don’t miss any major updates, a Facebook page about the Wilmington falcons keeps everyone up to date on all things nesting season.
Visit www.facebook.com/wilmfalcons for everything you need to know about the Wilmington falcons.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.
