Falcon chicks busting out all over state

A pair of the birds roosting in Youngstown appears to be incubating eggs.
COLUMBUS -- The first peregrine falcon chicks of the 2005 season have hatched in Cleveland at the Cleveland Clinic and Terminal Tower sites; in Lakewood; and in the Village of Cleves, just west of Cincinnati, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
At least two chicks each have been sighted at the Cleveland Clinic and Terminal Tower nests, and three of the five eggs in the Cleves nest have hatched. The number at Lakewood is currently undetermined. More hatchlings at other nests across the state are expected within the week, including the Dayton nest. A total of 21 pairs of peregrines are nesting across the state. In 2004, 16 pairs were located in Ohio and 15 pairs nested successfully.
Observers have identified new peregrine pairs in Eastlake and Youngstown this year. The Youngstown pair, sighted roosting in the Stambaugh Building in the downtown area, appears to be incubating eggs.
In Columbus, where a camera is set up to monitor falcon activity at the Rhodes Tower, "Victory" and "Orville" are incubating a nest of four eggs, ending a year of waiting and wondering. Throughout 2004, the birds showed signs of courtship, but were thought to be too young to reproduce.
Falcon fans can keep abreast of the pair's activities by checking the Division of Wildlife's peregrine falcon page at ohiodnr.com.
Cameras also are focused on nests in Dayton and Cleveland and can be accessed through links at this site.