Outside My Window

Bumblebee at obedient plant, 23 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) 27 June 2026 This week I was in Blair and Allegheny Counties where I found late June flowers, busy insects and urban deer. Beauty Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), at top, attracts many pollinators. It’s called obedient plant because if you move an individual flower to the side it stays in place. Enchanter’s nightshade (Circaea sp.) started blooming at the summer solstice in Schenley Park. Enchanter’s nightshade,…

Whooper swan with young on nest (photo from Wikimedia) 26 June 2026 This week I received a video from our friends in Finland where the whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) have returned to the lake outside their cottage. When we visited Finland last year I was disappointed that no whoopers were breeding nearby. Erkki was happy to show me the swans are back. Whooper swan family at Lake Rikkavesi, Finland, June 2026 (video by Erkki Makinen) Whooper swans nest on shorelines and islands at lakes like…

Merlin, eastern US (photo by Wm.H. Majoros via Wikimedia Commons) 25 June 2026 Have you heard this sound in your neighborhood? It’s a merlin! Listen. video embedded from Carl Barrentine on YouTube Merlins (Falco columbarius) are small, dark-striped, very fast falcons who’ve been making a comeback in Pennsylvania. Their population was wiped out during the DDT era and they didn’t return to PA until this century. In 2006-2009 the 2nd Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas confirmed just 6 nests. The 3rd…

Yellow at the nest on Tues 23 June 2026 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh) 24 June 2026 This morning the motion detection photos from the Cathedral of Learning showed a juvenile peregrine near the snapshot camera. Who is this? Juvie peregrine at the snapcam at Cathedral of Learning, 23 June 2026 (photo from the snapshot camera) Day-In-A-Minute video reveals it’s “Yellow.” She spent at least half the day loafing at the nest and when her parent(s) came near she…

Juvie on the “runway” at 62nd Street Bridge, 20 June 2026 (photo by Jeff Cieslak) 23 June 2026 Halfway into the 2026 Peregrine Season I thought our region would have lower than usual nesting success because we had fewer active sites than last year. But peregrines always surprise me. This month observers found fledglings at two bridges that weren’t on the list: 62nd Street Bridge and the Rt. 40 Bridge at West Brownsville. This adds two nests and 4 young to our regional total. Woo hoo! 62nd…

American robin fledgling in Frick Park, 16 May 2021 (photo by Charity Kheshgi) 22 June 2026 Nesting is at its peak, June flowers are blooming, bugs are buzzing, and robins are fledging their second brood(*). Join me for a bird and nature walk in Schenley Park on Sunday, June 28, 8:30am to 10:30am. Meet at the Schenley Park Cafe and Visitor Center where Panther Hollow Road joins Schenley Drive. In addition to birds we’ll see wild urban plants, including native Daisy fleabane (Erigeron annuus)…

The sky at 1:00am on 4 July 2017, Tuusniemi, Finland 21 June 2026 Happy Summer Solstice! By the time you read this the moment of the northern solstice will have passed in Pittsburgh on 21 June 2026 at 4:24 am EDT. We usually have only one longest day per year but sometimes the solstice lines up to give us two days with the same number of hours, minutes and seconds. This is one of those years with 15 hours, 3 minutes and 50 seconds of sunlight both yesterday and today. (The day lengths probably…

Upland sandpiper, Imperial Allegheny County, 19 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) 20 June 2026 North American grasslands have disappeared at an alarming rate and so have grassland birds, but there are still a few places to find them near Pittsburgh. Western Pennsylvania did not have grasslands until we had strip mines. The Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act of 1977 compelled coal companies to “establish a diverse, effective, and permanent vegetative cover capable of…

Great horned owls in Tucson, AZ, Feb 2026 (photo by Mick Thompson from Wikimedia Commons) 19 June 2026 Two great horned owls, youngster and mother, were perched in Tucson, Arizona when Yow! they were nearly hit by a falling owl. @pachucos_art captured the action on Instagram, playing the fall twice in real time, then in slow motion. Watch til the end to see the slow motion! I still chuckle every time I watch this, specially because of the mother’s and sibling’s expressions! — from Instagram…

Black bear swimming in Quebec, Canada in 2012 (photo from Wikimedia Commons) 18 June 2026 Five hundred years ago elk, bison, wolves and mountain lions roamed the eastern U.S., including Pennsylvania, but now we never see them in Pittsburgh. The closest we get to a mountain lion are the four cougar statues immortalized as “panthers” on the Panther Hollow Bridge in Schenley Park. Panther statue at Panther Hollow Bridge (photo from Wikimedia Commons) Some of these large animals are making a…

Female plain pocketbook mussel, Lampsilis cardium, luring a fish in the Potomac River (photo from Wikimedia Commons) 17 June 2026 Now that western Pennsylvania’s rivers are warming up for the summer, female plain pocketbook mussels (Lampsilis cardium) are ready to complete last year’s reproductive cycle by luring a fish. As soon as it strikes she’ll release her larvae into the fish’s gills where they’ll feed and mature and fall off as tiny mussels. Amazingly both sides of this parasitic…

Storm outside my window. Looking ominous. Nothing happened. 14 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) 16 June 2026 One benefit of living in a high rise is having a good view of the sky. I see many birds in flight and I get to watch the sky in all its moods. This week the sky has been especially moody. On Sunday morning, 14 June, the sun barely poked crepuscular rays through the clouds at sunrise. Red sky at morn, sailors forewarn. Sunrise on 14 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) Later that day we…

Canada geese at Southside Riverfront Park, 13 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) 15 June 2026 On Saturday at Southside Riverfront Park I found many flight feathers on the ground and fifty Canada geese loafing on shore and in the water. Molted flight feathers of Canada goose, Southside Riverfront Park, 13 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) Molted flight feathers are the first big clue that these Canada geese are in the midst of their annual synchronous molt. The second clue is their appearance.…

Juvenile peregrine at the Third Ave ledge edge, 13 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) 14 June 2026, All Peregrines All The Time My last update was only six days ago, 7 June, but so much is going on! I have news from six sites. Site List and latest activity, a regional summary. (Yellow = nest is/was active in 2026, includes one failed nest. Boldface dates are May & June 2026.) Activity in the region: Cathedral of Learning, Univ of Pittsburgh: Falcon Home: Wispy clouds frame the Cathedral of…

Female (left) and male (right) peregrines at 62nd Street Bridge, 11 June 2026 (photo by Jeff Cieslak) 13 June 2026 In 2024 and 2025 a pair of peregrines nested successfully at East Liberty Presbyterian’s church steeple where they fledged a total of four young. Nest monitor Adam Knoerzer named them Libby and Dave. This March they were on their way to another successful year when a terrific wind storm blew away the sticks that supported the nesting zone. Here’s what it looked like before it…

Juvenile peregrine flight practice, Downtown Pittsburgh, 2020-06-28 (photo by Lori Maggio) 12 June 2026 What’s it like to fly — and land — for the first time? While our young peregrines are fledging, so are those at the University of Leeds, UK where @LeedsBirder records their activities with his scope and iPhone. On 9 June he captured slow motion of a young peregrine (banded ZBJ) flying and landing in the wind on his first day of flight. Learning to fly is difficult in gusty winds! Not bad for…

Magicicada from Brood VIII, Moon Twp PA, 9 June 2019 (photo by Kate St. John) 11 June 2026 Seven years ago Magicicada Brood VIII emerged in western Allegheny County. I caught up with them in Moon Twp, PA on 9 June 2019. Protected from the chaos of the topside world, larvae that burrowed underground in 2002 had lived safely underground for 17 years. But in Moon Twp far fewer emerged than expected. Find out what I discovered in this vintage article. Cicadas Surrounded Topside land use changed…

Resembling snow peas on a tree, Univ of Pittsburgh lawn, 4 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) 9 June 2026 Last week these seed pods in my neighborhood looked like snow peas clinging to the redbud trees. Apparently it’s an exceptionally good year for redbud (Cercis canadensis) seed production even though we had two freezes while the flowers were blooming in April. Notice how similar the seed pods are to snow peas (Pisum sativum var. macrocarpum). Snow peas at a market (photo from Wikimedia…

Pitt peregrine “Yellow” on the sidewalk in front of the library, 8 June 2026 (photo by Stephen Tirone) 9 June 2026 Yesterday afternoon at 1:20pm my phone lit up with messages from Julie Hanify and Stephen Tirone. A peregrine fledgling was on the ground in front of the library and a bunch of crows were shouting at her. It was “Yellow” and she was in the midst of her first big adventure. It looks like she’s shouting too but she might just be cooling off with her mouth open. Yellow in front of the…

Juvenile peregrine in flight at Westinghouse Bridge, 2 June 2026 (photo by Dana Nesiti) 8 June 2026, All Peregrines All The Time June is the month when young peregrine falcons make their first flight in southwestern Pennsylvania. It’s also when we discover new peregrine families that flew under the radar until now, as happened last week at the 62nd Street Bridge. Here’s a news roundup of Pittsburgh’s peregrines in early June with a site summary below. We currently have six active nests. Site…

Peregrine carrying food at the 62nd Street Bridge, 4 June 2026 (photo by Matt Jacob @matt_jacob) 7 June 2026 When Matt Jacob, co-author of City Steps of Pittsburgh, visited the 62nd Street Bridge on June 4 and 5 to take pictures for a new book about the city’s parks, playgrounds, and trails he found a surprise. There were two peregrines at the bridge and they were carrying food over the Allegheny River to a cubbyhole in the structure. Peregrine at the 62nd Street Bridge, 5 June 2026 (photo by…

Mouse-ear hawkweed in Schenley Park + peregrine Green perched near the snapcam, 6 June 2026 (photos by Kate St. John and the National Aviary snapcam at Univ of Pittsburgh) 6 June 2026 Fledge Watch, 5 June 2026, 6:30-7:30pm Two of four juvenile peregrines lounge on the nestrail, waiting for dinner, 5 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) Last evening during the last scheduled Fledge we again watched all four young peregrines lounge on the nestrail waiting for dinner. Only one was excited enough to…

Four juvie peregrines wait on the nestrail for dinner, 4 Juen 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) 5 June 2026 Last night we had a good turnout at Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch from 6:30-7:30pm. We all hoped to see a young peregrine fly. Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch, 3 June 2026 (photo by John English) We had additional confirmation that a juvie had flown on 3 June when John Dzikiy showed me a video by Conor Tompkins, taken at 7pm Wednesday, of a juvenile peregrine flapping a lot as it flew out and back…

Two visited the nest, 3 June 2026, 6:06pm (photo from the snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh) 4 June 2026 Yesterday, 3 June, the Pitt peregrine youngsters were in and out of the nestbox … but mostly out. I walked over at 11:00am and saw three on the nestrail and Ecco high on the Fifth Avenue side staring intently at the likely location of the fourth. One had fledged, three to go. This score was confirmed when someone at Fledge Watch remarked that she saw a peregrine in “flappy flight”(*)…

All 4 juvies are on the nest, 6:16am (photo from the snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh) 3 June 2026 Tuesday 2 June began with all four young Pitt peregrines at the nest but their numbers fluctuated all morning as one or more left and returned. During the afternoon three left one by one. By the time Fledge Watch began at 4:30pm only Yellow was on camera. The rest were ledge walking. These snapshots show how their day went, but only on falconcam. We have very few photos from the ground. 1…

Ecco prepares dinner on the small roof while “Blue” watches from the nestrail (photo by John English) 2 June 2026 At yesterday evening’s Fledge Watch both peregrine parents brought food to the Cathedral of Learning and made a big show of plucking and preparing dinner for their four youngsters. “Blue” watched his father from the nestrail but gave up and went to the nestbox to wait. When Ecco was ready he carried the food across the nestrail toward the nest to entice the “kids” to come up the…

Parent blue jay with fledgling, Schenley Park, 31 May 2026 (photo by Charity Kheshgi) 2 June 2026 In the midst of Peregrine Fledge Watch Season this blog has been All Peregrines All The Time but I’ll take a break to tell you about our outing on 31 May. Fourteen people came out last Sunday for a walk in Schenley Park. Here are 10 of us at journey’s end. Schenley Park outing, 31 May 2026 (photo by Charity Kheshgi) Highlights were: A fledgling blue jay was perched low within sight of the sidewalk.…

3 Pitt peregrine siblings watch their brother “Blue” above on the nestrail, 31 May 2026, 5:40pm (photo from the National Aviary snapcam at Univ of Pittsburgh) 1 June 2026 Yesterday was pretty boring at 11:00am Fledge Watch because the young peregrines slept most of the time (photo below). Five hours later they perked up and at 5pm “Blue” disappeared from camera view. Here’s where he went and a prediction for the days ahead. Sleeping at 11:40am, 5/31 while we watched from Schenley Plaza.…

Peregrine adult and juveniles at Cathedral of Learning. Fledge Watch 2025 (photo by Kate St. John) 31 May 2026 By the end of this week Carla and Ecco’s four chicks will leave the nest and move out of view of the falconcam. The males (Red and Blue) will leave first followed by their sisters (Green and Yellow). Peregrine chicks always follow these steps on their way to first flight. Pull the white fluff off their feathers and become dark brown. Spend a lot of time flapping and exercising their…

Bluebead lily, Clintonia borealis, Forbes State Forest near Spruce Flats Bog, 29 May 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) 30 May 2026 This week I went birding with friends in the Laurel Highlands at Bear Run and in the Forbes State Forest near Spruce Flats Bog. Even on a bright sunny day the tree canopy was so dense that the ground was mostly in shadow. This made it challenging to take good photographs. At top, bluebead lily or yellow clintonia (Clintonia borealis) is always in the shade. Below, the…