I am aware that when our "urban/suburban" Merlin fledglings leave the nest, that at least one of the parents still drops off prey for a few days, and monitors whether or not the juvies are successfully feeding (the kids often drop prey to the ground and it takes awhile for them to better master the pass-offs and drop-offs, much less to get to the next step of capturing their own prey). I also think that the parent(s) may follow the kids around for awhile and, upon finding that one or 2 are seriously having trouble getting food, they will again bring them prey on a tree away from the nestsite. I'm wondering if the downtown Peregriine fledglings get any similar treatment, or if, once they fly, they are totally on their own for food procurement. And do other falcons (eg. kestrels, Prairie Falcons, Gyrfalcons), have similar ways to Merlins, or do they all vary a bit? If any of you Tweets (including Kim McCormick and Ben Vang-Johnson), can offer some info or observations on any of the falcons post-fledging, I'm sure that many of us Tweets would appreciate your sharings.

Thanks...

Barb Deihl
Matthews Beach Neighborhood - NE Seattle
barbdeihl at comcast.net