We Have Mobility!

While its nestmates were chillin' out, one of the chicks decided to wander a bit!  It didn't stay away from the huddle for very long, but nonetheless this afternoon, the chick made its way to the west wall of the nest box and then back over with the others!   A combination of warmer temps in Columbus and that the chicks are growing and better able to regulate their own temperature means they won't need to be brooded as much by an adult. 

Meanwhile, we've gotten a few questions about the yellow feathers in the nest.  These feathers are from a prey item, likely a northern flicker, a type of woodpecker.  To look at a photo of a flicker at rest, one might not realize how much yellow they have on the wing and tail feathers.  But see one in flight and the yellow will definitely catch your eye!  A flicker could certainly be found in downtown especially where there are trees and grass (like at the statehouse), but more likely it probably encountered one of the peregrines as it was making its way across the Scioto River.  The riparian area so close to their nest provides a variety of bird life for the peregrines to choose from.