One of the Chesapeake Bay’s most famous taloned couples are expecting. Boh and Barb, the peregrine falcons who live on a 33rd floor ledge of the Transamerica building in downtown Baltimore, have two brand new eggs in their scrape.
The falcons are webcam stars. Since 2015, Chesapeake Conservancy has been operating a live stream for nature fans to watch the falcon family nest 24/7 in partnership with explore.org.
Barb, the female falcon named after former Senator Barbara Mikulski, laid her first two eggs on Saturday and Monday. Boh (named for Baltimore’s Natty Boh beer), her lifelong mate, is a doting dad-to-be. He’ll bring Barb food while she sits on her eggs. The first egg laid on March 7 was a surprise to webcam fans and Chesapeake Conservancy, because it came almost two weeks earlier than usual. In 2019, Barb laid her first egg March 20; in 2018 it was March 19.
In previous years, Barb has laid four eggs, only a few days apart, so it’s a good time to keep a close eye on the Falcon Cam, as more eggs could be on the way.
Once the chicks come, they’ll spend 35-45 days safe in the nest, counting on their parents to feed them. Peregrine falcons eat medium-sized birds like ducks and pigeons, catching them in mid-air. They’re thought to be the fastest bird in the world, diving from great heights to catch prey. A peregrine has been clocked at 238 miles per hour during one of these dives.
Boh and Barb are descendants from the same falcon family that has been nesting at the Transamerica building since 1977.
–Meg Walburn Viviano
