Donning hard hats and holding Styrofoam pool noodles to keep a protective mother peregrine falcon at bay, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife biologists retrieved two falcon chicks hatched in a nest box at UMass Lowell, to get a look at the birds and assess their health. 

Wildlife officials will go out onto the roof of the tallest building in Lowell to get a falcon chick ready to leave the nest. 

Peregrine falcon chicks are nesting on top of Fox Hall at UMass Lowell.

Merri and Chris continue to hang around the campus, returning to Fox Hall each dusk to roost.

Two of the three hatched falcon chicks have left the nest site for good and are exploring their surroundings. The third remains missing.

The Lowell Sun writes about how Husband and wife astronomers Edwin Aguirre and Imelda Joson became UMass Lowell falcon watchers, monitoring the birds for nearly a decade.

This year, three chicks were born about a month ago atop Fox Hall at UMass Lowell. Wednesday, state wildlife officials checked on the chicks and attached their leg bands.

On June 8, the three peregrine falcon chicks will be banded by officials from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.

A mystery egg spotted in the next box, appears to have come from a captured prey.

Merri’s new mate, Chris, has suffered a debilitating injury, resulting in the loss of his right leg.

UMass Lowell is saddened to report that Lance, Merri’s former mate and the father of last year’s chicks, died on April 11. He was just about six years old.

Merri laid her fourth and final egg for the season early in the morning of Wednesday, April 13.

Merri's new mate has been identified from his leg band.

The adult male intruder falcon that veteran falcon watcher Imelda Joson first spotted last December has now taken over the nest at Fox Hall from Lance.

Merri laid her first egg early in the morning of Wednesday, April 6.

After a relatively mild winter, Merri and Lance are getting ready to start a new family. Merri is now spending more time around and inside the nest box, so we can expect to see the first egg real soon.

One of Merri and Lance’s offspring this year, nicknamed “Jane,” has recently been spotted in Cape May, New Jersey.

No sighting of the young falcons at Fox Hall for three weeks now, and it is safe to assume they have successfully fledged and left.

One of the male juvenile falcons, nicknamed “K2,” has been successfully reunited with his family at Fox Hall on July 14, 2015.

One of the male juvenile falcons, nicknamed “K2,” has been successfully reunited with his family at Fox Hall on July 14, 2015.

As of Monday, June 22, all four juvenile falcons are now able to fly around Fox Hall, roosting on the antenna tower as well as on nearby buildings.

As of Monday, June 22, all four juvenile falcons are now able to fly around Fox Hall, roosting on the antenna tower as well as on nearby buildings.

On Wednesday evening, June 10, one of the male falcon chicks fell from the roof of Fox Hall after venturing too close to the ledge.

Merri and Lance now have four eggs!

After record snowfall this past winter, Merri and her new mate, Lance, are starting a new family together.

Chicks Get Supplemental Food

As the chicks have gotten older and bigger, they have been venturing farther from the nest box.

A team from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (DFW) led by biologist Tom French successfully banded all four chicks this morning.

University Mourns Loss of Adopted River Hawk

Merri and Mack are now proud grandparents!

Peregrine falcons residing at Fox Hall adopt a male chick from Lawrence.