Date: 5/21/26 6:20 am From: Geo Kloppel <geokloppel...> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Taughannock Ravens and Peregrines
…so if they haven’t fledged yet, their nest (the Ravens’, that is) can be spotted at telescope distance by looking across the gorge from a station about eight fence posts east of North Rim Trail marker #10. The Peregrine eyrie is visible from a lookout a bit east of marker #9, where there’s a wooden bench. Neither of them is easily visible from below, nor from the main falls overlook. Details, photos on eBird. -Geo
On May 21, 2026, at 8:36 AM, Geo Kloppel <geokloppel...> wrote:
Yes, in time neighbor relations settled down. A few days ago, the Ravens’ nest was looking very crowded with youngsters eager to fledge. At a tree nest, they would have been out on the branches... -Geo
On May 21, 2026, at 7:36 AM, Nancy Cusumano <nancycusumano62...> wrote:
Than you George!Do you know what happened to the Ravens? Were they able to nest at all? Nancy On Thu, May 21, 2026 at 7:24 AM Geo Kloppel <geokloppel...> wrote:
Back in March of this year, antipathy really flared between the Taughannock Ravens and Peregrines. It turned out that the Ravens were establishing a new nest, high on the _south_ wall of the gorge about 400’ from the falls, and the Peregrines didn’t like that. I witnessed numerous attacks in the overhanging trees or out in the dizzy gulf in front of the Ravens’ nest.
Meanwhile, the Peregrines were also refurbishing their own traditional eyrie, 1,500’ away on the north wall. It certainly looked like they intended to nest there again, in spite of its exposure. But they did not. The ledge remains unoccupied. And for two months I’ve wondered what happened.
Now I know. Although the Peregrines were obviously attached to the eyrie that they have used since the year 2020, and refurbishing it was a pleasing courtship ritual, they did not forget the predation that they experienced there last year. So they left it empty, and nested up the gorge, very close to the falls, and therefore quite close to the Ravens’ nest. They now have four chicks up there.
