A falcon's nest with eggs has captured the attention of park rangers and bird lovers who work in downtown Washington, D.C., just blocks away from the White House.
National Park Service rangers at the Old Post Office Tower first spotted the falcons last week. They saw two adults falcons protecting three eggs perched on the ledge of the EPA headquarters just off Pennsylvania Avenue.
"I got lucky and saw what we call a shift change. One adult replacing the other so they would actually get up off the nest, one would fly off, and in that brief period I was able to see three eggs in that nest," said Daniel Rauch, with the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment.
Rauch said that after a significant decline in their population, peregrine falcons have bounced back in recent years. But there are only about 32 known nests in the region along the Potomac River.
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
"We were down to only about 345 pairs in the 70s. That's nationwide, with almost nothing on the East Coast. They’ve turned into urban birds. The highest density of peregrine falcons in the world is actually in New York City. They've got 25 nests across five burroughs," Rauch said.
On Thursday, it appeared the adult falcons had abandoned their nest and only one egg was visible.
"That means something happened at that nest, which does happen. Nests fail for a number of reasons and it sounds like if eggs were taken and the adults aren't there, it's probably from nest predation, which could be anything from crows coming in and taking eggs to, you know, raccoons could actually get access to that building," Rauch said.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
While the outcome for the nest isn't what onlookers hoped for, Rauch said there are lots of other nests across the region that are producing offspring.
"It is full breeding season so we've got osprey eggs, we've got bald eagle chicks all over the region. The peregrine falcons at Reston Town Center should be hatching today or tomorrow," Rauch said.
He said the pair of falcons will likely find another location nearby to build a nest and try for more eggs next year.
The post office clock tower where the falcons were spotted sits above the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, but is operated by the National Park Service.
Its 360-degree views of the nation's capital are the second-highest in the city behind the Washington Monument.
"It's completely a hidden gem," National Park Service spokesperson Mike Litterest said. "It’s a comparable view. In some ways, if you want to see the Capitol, it’s a far better view."
The tower is free and open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
