Photo: Lee Walker/DGIF

If the loss of the T-D’s eagle cam has you down — or if you just think spying on birds is fun — you might check out the peregrine falcon cam set up by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The rare adult peregrines have nested on a 21st-story ledge at Riverfront Plaza, 901 E. Byrd Street for a few years. Three falcon chicks emerged from eggs last week, so most of the cam shots are of the mother tending to the chicks. Colleague Rex Springston will have a story in the T-D soon.

Area birders may remember that a single peregrine chick died last yearwhen it flew into a window of a nearby building on its first flight. Let’s hope these three find more luck navigating the downtown highrises. And, if you’re interested, the DGIF website has a lot of great information on peregrine falcon recovery efforts across the state. Here’s a bit on the Richmond pair: “Since 2006 the birds have nested on the west tower of the Riverfront Plaza. The pair continues to be productive, having produced 33 eggs and 26 chicks between 2003 and 2010. Fifteen of these have successfully fledged in Richmond. The pair has also contributed chicks to hacking efforts in the mountains, including 2 chicks released at Breaks Interstate Park and 5 at Shenandoah National Park. Two of the Richmond-produced birds have gone on to become breeders in nearby states.”