Hamilton’s famous falcons are on the path to parenthood
Published March 31, 2022 at 12:10 pm
The latest Peregrine Falcon couple to call the rooftop of Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton are expecting.
Judson and McKeever appear poised to welcome a couple (possibly more) fledglings in the coming weeks, as keen bird watchers have caught glimpses of at least two of the falcons’ eggs in the past couple of days.
Images captured Thursday (March 31) by the camera pointed at the nest and shared by the Hamilton Community Peregrine Project show two speckled reddish-brown eggs in the nest that the two proud parents-to-be have been keeping a diligent eye on.
The eggs are a welcome sight as many feared the nest would remain empty following the death this year of Lily, the nest’s resident female falcon for the past six years.
Shortly after Lily’s death, which may have been the result of a territorial dispute, McKeever appeared on the scene and since her arrival, Judson has successfully wooed her by proving himself to be a good provider.
His wooing was so focused that even the attentions of an unidentified female falcon at the Sheraton nest earlier this month couldn’t deter him.
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Members of the Hamilton Community Peregrine Falcon Project theorize that there are possibly more than two eggs in the nest but the camera angle makes it hard to see for sure what’s in the scrape.
If all goes well, the eggs may hatch by the end of April or early May.
The last successful fledging from the Sheraton nest was in 2020 when Lily hatched a pair of chicks with her then-partner, Ossie.
Ossie was replaced in the spring of 2021 following a territorial dispute with Judson, who fledged from Buffalo but whose lineage can be traced back to Hamilton.
To learn more about Peregrine Falcons and to get an up-close-and-personal look at Hamilton’s resident falcons as they prepare to (hopefully) welcome some chicks, visit the Hamilton Community Peregrine Project website.
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