By Philip Newman
Like the swallows of Capistrano and the buzzards of Hinckley, Ohio, the falcons have returned once again to their lofty perch on the Queens side of the Marine Parkway Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels officials said the same female falcon and her mate have for several years nested and raised chicks at the seaside crossing.
"We are very careful to let nature take its course and leave the nest undisturbed," said John Ryder, general manager for both the Marine Parkway and the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridges.
'The falcons keep coming back here to nest so they must find our bridges very hospitable," Ryder said.
When the Marine Parkway Bridge maintenance crew first took note of the falcons several years ago, they set up a box in a never-used platform on the tower which the falcons have since turned into a well-appointed nest
The platform on the Queens side of the tower was installed more than 60 years ago for a gun turret during World War II.
When the falcons flew back again around May 30, Bridge Maintenance Superingtendent Carlton Cyrus, along with a wildlife biologist and falcon expert, climbed the 218-foot bridge tower to inspect the nest.
Cyrus said they wanted to determine whether there were any eggs there or whether newborns were in residence.
"We wear protective gear and are careful to keep a safe distance so the mother does not perceive us as a threat," Cyrus said.
What did they find?
"We were greeted by the sight of two chicks, just days old," Cyrus said.
