Urban Peregrine Falcon Encounter

Adventure can be found on the sidewalks of downtown Binghamton, New York, a small upstate city of about 47,000 population.

Yesterday, I was walking on the sidewalk next to the Security Mutual Building in downtown, on my way to the Broome County library.  Security Mutual owns a 10 story building (the third tallest in downtown) and peregrine falcons have nested on top of the building for years.

Passing by this building is its own adventure.  At this time of years, droppings will come raining down (I got hit a week ago), and it isn't uncommon to find what is left of the falcons' meals (to put it delicately).  Also, the babies experience a high mortality rate.

It is an experience hearing the calls of the adults, and you can sometimes see them flying from building to building.

This one wasn't flying.

This is the third time in my nearly 20 years working downtown that I've seen one of the young birds on the ground.  The bird was obviously injured.

There was a woman guarding it.  She had called for help and was waiting for help to arrive, she explained.  She knew someone with a conservation officer in her family.

I wasn't about to get too close - this was using the zoom on my iPhone.

Other pedestrians weren't stopping.  One, oblivious, almost stepped on the bird, who hobbled out of the way, and hopped into the street and under a parked truck. Finally, the bird emerged and sort of hopped onto a decorative rock. There it stayed until someone came out of the building with a box and managed to put it over the bird.

At that point, I decided the bird was safe, and resumed my walk.  On the way back, a half hour later, everyone was gone, including the bird and the box.

I hope this bird makes it.

Have you ever had a close encounter with a baby bird?

Local Saturday-Peregrine Falcons of Binghamton

This post dates from 2011.  The photos were taken by someone working in this building. She still does.  And, I still walk past this building and find - well, some interesting things.

There is a joy in hearing the falcons call.  It makes me glad that I'm not a pigeon.

Enjoy the post now.....

One of the joys of working in our downtown area here in Binghamton, New York, is knowing that high above you, a pair of peregrine falcons is taking care of business. 

Back in 2001, a pair set up on top of the Security Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York building, and proceeded to nest.  They (and another pair that took over at some point, I believe), make this an annual ritual.

I have been fortunate enough to see the falcons several times over the years.  Sometimes, bird watchers set up near the Broome County Court house when they are sighted, and allow noonday office workers out and about at lunch to share their binoculars.  And, enough times....how do I say this delicately, but if I have to walk past the Security Mutual building, I must step around....er, the remains of their lunch.  Pigeons are their favorite, and they are choosy about which parts they eat.

I understand they can dive at 200 miles per hour.  I've never seen one take prey, but I have heard their haunting screeches.

In June of 2008, someone I know who works in the Security Mutual building sent me these photos.  I would like to share these photos with you.

Thank you, Donna, for these photos. As Donna explained at the time:

"Please enjoy the pictures of the male, baby Falcon, approximately 3 months old, that hit the window of the Security Mutual Building around lunch time, and decided to take a little rest on the ledge, outside offices on the 8th floor, before he took off flying to join the rest of his family.  We learned from the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) that this may have been his maiden flight."  

The building visible in most of the pictures is the Broome County Courthouse.

This is an action sequence.  The bird rests on the ledge, a bit stunned, recovers, and then finally flies away. 

The pigeons may not be happy to have the falcons in town, but many office workers in downtown Binghamton are thrilled to have the falcons live among us.

 Here, the falcon peeks into the 8th floor offices.

What a beautiful sight.

 A very nice closeup.

 Great shot down Court Street, as the bird prepares to take off.  And finally, the happy ending.

 
The young birds, sadly, do not always survive to adulthood.  But I believe this one did.

I'll Be the Roundabout

Yesterday, the cry of a peregrine falcon echoed through downtown Binghamton, New York.

Ignoring the stilled machinery, the dug up streets, the detoured traffic, the falcon patrolled the skies above its home, the Security Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York building.

Below him (or her), the Roundabout slowly takes shape.

It's the talk of all Binghamton, New York.  And not in a nice way.  Everyone who works downtown, or shops downtown, or just passes through downtown, has an opinion.  Many times, that opinion is unprintable.

Will The Roundabout, aka the Court Street Gateway Project, save our burnt out industrial city of some 47,000 citizens?  Or will it help to destroy it?  And why should you, dear reader who probably doesn't live in Binghamton, care?

Because a roundabout may be coming to an intersection near you, that's why.

This is the latest flavor of Urban Renewal.  It's the answer to our traffic prayers.  Of course, there have been other flavors of urban renewal served to Binghamton with disastrous results.  For example, the downtown pedestrian mall that almost killed our fair city when it became a hangout for undesirables.  The street was eventually reopened to traffic, several million dollars later.


This roundabout is so controversial, the City of Binghamton has devoted part of its website to trying to justify it, trying to reassure its citizens that our downtown will be all the better for it.

There is even a video that allows us to "drive" through the roundabout.  And a FAQ page.  We are told that we may oppose it now, but we'll love it once we've driven on it several times.

It's hard to visualize it now.  When you look at it, you can hardly believe that cars will even fit on it.  You just know that some idiot, traveling drunk late at night, is going to miss a curve and end up decorating the lobby of one of the office buildings or businesses lining the roundabout.

As a pedestrian, I'm concerned too.  Especially after someone lost control of their vehicle about two weeks ago, went up on the sidewalk, hit a pedestrian and ended up partially inside a convenience store which (if you know where it is) is visible in the first picture above.  No, it wasn't the fault of the construction but it still makes me wonder how drivable that roundabout will be.

Since March we working downtown have endured constant drilling, dust, detours, and worse.  I feel bad for the office workers working directly in front of the construction. Right now the jackhammers are stilled because this weekend is Binghamton's July Fest.  So I was able to hear the cry of peregrine falcons for the first time in months.

But Monday the drilling will resume.

Has your town or city built one of the new-style roundabouts?  If so, do you like it? Or not?

When Falcons Cry

Some strange things are going on with the behavior of the peregrine falcons who live in downtown Binghamton.  Since I am not a wildlife expert, or a bird expert, I am at a loss to know why-all I can do is describe from the viewpoint of someone who has worked downtown as long as these birds have lived on top of the Security Mutual Building.

I wonder if they are unhappy.  OK, I know there are people who say birds can't feel emotions.  I love being around birds, and I disagree.

I hear them crying.  A lot.  It is a haunting cry and echoes through the city streets nearly every morning.  This year they are much more vocal than they have ever been.  And this has been going on for over a month.  It is not normal behavior compared to previous years.  I may be "humanizing" their behavior but I imagine them upset about something.

The other thing I've noticed is that their choice of dining has changed.

It's hard to ignore the, uh, remains of dinner when you walk past the Security Mutual building.  Falcons, in my view, are picky eaters. They will only eat certain parts of the prey bird, and then leave the rest of their meal for some poor human to clean up for them.  (I'm glad I'm not that person.)

For years, the prey has been pigeons.

Not any more.  Dinner is now consistently small birds, maybe even songbirds.

The pigeon population started to decline when the falcons moved into Binghamton in 2001 but we still have pigeons.  I see them nearly every day.

Which brings me full circle back to the crying birds.  Could it be that they aren't finding enough prey?  I would think they would move (after all they can fly)?  Did they lose their babies this year?  Are they sensing something about the weather, perhaps the coming winter?

Is there something going on?  Or am I fussing about nothing?

I wish I knew.