Libraries do all kinds of interesting things. And the Evanston Public Library has a very unique service for their community: a live camera on a pair of nesting peregrine falcons!

“Peregrine falcons have been nesting at the library since 2004. They occupy the nest (scrape) from March until June each year. There is an Evanston Peregrine Falcon Watch group for posting and sharing news and observations of the Evanston Peregrine Falcons.  Scientists from the Field Museum’s Chicago Peregrine Program band the young falcons each year.”

There are two newly-hatched baby falcons in the scrape right now, being sat on by the parents alternately. Pretty soon they will be big enough to stay warm on their own, and the parents will sit on the edge of the ledge where they are nested. Then you will see the parents bring assorted delicacies, including tasty pigeon parts (yum!).

The camera is inside the library’s third floor, and if patrons get too loud you might see the parents flapping and sending threatening looks in the window to shush them! Librarians may not focus on shushing people anymore (and good riddance to that antiquated practice!), but raising baby falcons gives these parents a different perspective.

Evanston is a wonderful library – I’ve visited it several times and even went to the very first falcon banding day! (Baby falcons are banded and given a quick check by staff of Chicago’s Field Museum; it’s so fun!) You can hear about some of their great programs in our podcast episode number four (available on iTunes or other podcast app; or on our website!), where they were our Spotlight Library of the week!