Delaware’s falcon cam offline until 2012 mating season

The Peregrine falcons Delawareans have been watching for months, have left the nest, capping off the 2011 mating season.

“The same as the hundreds of online watchers, I too was captivated by the drama of the parents and their young, from egg laying to fledging,” said Bill Stewart of the Delmarva Ornithological Society, one of the webcam partners, along with DuPont’s Clear Into the Future program. “One could not help but become almost parentally attached!”

But it’s not all good news. During the first week of June, the falcon chicks took flight for the first time. However, one of the males died trying in his first attempt. For the two other males, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) says they are currently flying around the City of Wilmington preparing to start lives of their own.

DNREC says their two sisters are now in West Virginia as part of a regional effort to restore Peregrine falcons to their native habitat.

“Although selfishly saddened to see the two girls leave Wilmington, smart and wise wildlife conservation became the guiding light in an attempt to provide our falcons the best chance for a successful life,” said Stewart.

DNREC Falcon Cam watchers started watching in mid-March, when the resident pair of falcons produced five eggs, atop the Brandywine Building in downtown Wilmington.

For now, the camera is offline, but DNREC says tune in next year for what it hopes is an encore performance.