Baby falcons nearly ready to fly in Salt Lake

Four baby falcons in a downtown Salt Lake nest are only days from flying.

Bob Walters, who runs the Watchable Wildlife program for the Division of Wildlife Resources, said an adult pair is busy raising the 5-week-old peregrines (called eyases) in a nest box at the north end of the east face of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, located at South Temple and Main Street.

He and an army of volunteers will be watching the falcons and will be trying to keep them out of harm's way during their first harrowing flights around the buildings and construction work downtown.

Walters and the volunteers will be observing the birds on sidewalks along South Temple, Main and State. He said the group will provide binoculars and spotting scopes for anyone who wants to join them during Watchable Wildlife field trips and impromptu noon and evening gatherings.

The multiple pairs of falcons who have resided at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and Deseret Building in downtown Salt Lake City since 1986 have successfully raised many young falcons in busy downtown.