Now that the Pitt peregrine nest is empty, most of us aren’t watching the falconcam so I was surprised when Megan Briody posted this comment on my blog yesterday:

Kate, did you see that Terzo has a new “visitor” at the nest? I saw her on the camera today (6/22) at 3:58 PM. At first, I thought it was Terzo because she also has a black/red band, but the band numbers didn’t seem familiar so I checked the video archives later. The bands are black/red, 62/H on her left leg and purple on her right leg. Your peregrine history pdf says that this is Magnum from the Neville Island Bridge! Later at 4:40 PM, Terzo was in the nest, he called her in, and they bowed and chirped at each other. I went back farther in the archives, and she was on camera last night (6/21) at 18:58. If you have any thoughts on this development, we’d love to hear them! It seems strange that Terzo would be courting a new female so soon after C1 fledged, but after this year, I guess we should expect the unexpected!

Wow! Good job, Megan!

Here’s a closeup of Magnum’s bands.: Right leg = black/red 62/H. Left leg has a purple band .

Indeed Magnum, hatched in Canton, Ohio in 2010, raised up to four nestlings per year at the Neville Island I-79 Bridge since 2013. This spring site monitors reported two fledglings at the bridge but weren’t able to confirm the pair’s identity because the nest was moved out of sight.

We don’t know if Magnum nested, but we do know that Hope was challenged by two females: On April 8 by an immature unbanded female, and on April 23 by a banded adult female with black/red on her left leg and a purple band on her right leg. Perhaps that adult was Magnum, waiting her chance take the Cathedral.

Was there a fight? Not that we know of. Many watchers are scanning the sky for a glimpse of C1 and none of them reported a fight.

Meanwhile Peter Bell’s @PittPeregrines video (above) indicates that Terzo and Magnum are already establishing their pair bond so that means Hope is gone. (No she isn’t. See UPDATE below)

A prime nest site like the Cathedral of Learning can change hands at any time. Fortunately Hope was able to keep the site while C1 was still in the nest and still primarily her responsibility. At this point in C1’s life, her welfare is Terzo’s job.

So the peregrine drama continues.

Thank you, Megan Briody, for letting us know it happened!

UPDATE: Hope never left the Cathedral of Learning. Magnum merely stopped by for a visit.

(video by Peter Bell (@PittPeregrines) from the archives of the National Aviary falconcam at University of PPittsburgh)