Downtown Salt Lake City falcons make first flights (video)

Taking off • Voters on the Salt Lake Peregrines Facebook page picked the names Hunter, Skye and Ace for the young birds.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Bob Walters, watchable wildlife coordinator for the DWR, holds juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 in a towel after the juvenile bird left the nest box on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The bird flew from the Church Office Building back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building but was unable to find a landing place and fluttered to the ground.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 hides in the flowers at the base of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after flying from the Church Office Building to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The bird flew from the Church Office Building back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building but was unable to find a landing place and fluttered to the ground.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 tests out the breeze as it flaps its wings on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Bob Walters, watchable wildlife coordinator for the DWR, uses a towel to scoop up juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 at the base of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after two of the juvenile birds left the nest box on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The bird flew from the Church Office Building back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building but was unable to find a landing place and fluttered to the ground.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Bob Walters, watchable wildlife coordinator for the DWR, uses a towel to scoop up juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 at the base of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after two of the juvenile birds left the nest box on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The bird flew from the Church Office Building back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building but was unable to find a landing place and fluttered to the ground.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 leaps across a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

A piece of white down from juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 floats to the ground as it sits on a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 walks along a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Bob Walters, watchable wildlife coordinator for the DWR, holds juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 in a towel after the juvenile bird left the nest box on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The bird flew from the Church Office Building back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building but was unable to find a landing place and fluttered to the ground.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 scratches its face as it sits on a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 leaps across a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 tests out the breeze as it flaps its wings on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Visitors to Temple Square look up at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to get a look at the juvenile Peregrine Falcons as they start to leave the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 leaps across a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

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Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Bob Walters, watchable wildlife coordinator for the DWR, holds juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 in a towel after the juvenile bird left the nest box on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The bird flew from the Church Office Building back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building but was unable to find a landing place and fluttered to the ground. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 hides in the flowers at the base of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after flying from the Church Office Building to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The bird flew from the Church Office Building back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building but was unable to find a landing place and fluttered to the ground. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 tests out the breeze as it flaps its wings on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Bob Walters, watchable wildlife coordinator for the DWR, uses a towel to scoop up juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 at the base of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after two of the juvenile birds left the nest box on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The bird flew from the Church Office Building back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building but was unable to find a landing place and fluttered to the ground. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Bob Walters, watchable wildlife coordinator for the DWR, uses a towel to scoop up juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 at the base of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after two of the juvenile birds left the nest box on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The bird flew from the Church Office Building back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building but was unable to find a landing place and fluttered to the ground. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 leaps across a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune A piece of white down from juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 floats to the ground as it sits on a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 walks along a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Bob Walters, watchable wildlife coordinator for the DWR, holds juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 in a towel after the juvenile bird left the nest box on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The bird flew from the Church Office Building back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building but was unable to find a landing place and fluttered to the ground. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 scratches its face as it sits on a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 leaps across a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #1 tests out the breeze as it flaps its wings on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Visitors to Temple Square look up at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to get a look at the juvenile Peregrine Falcons as they start to leave the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #2 leaps across a ledge on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building after leaving the nest box on the building in Salt Lake City, Utah Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

By Brett Prettyman The Salt Lake Tribune

· July 11, 2014 3:08 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

It was time to fly the coop, at least for two of the three peregrine falcons born in a nest box on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in downtown Salt Lake City.

The first took flight around 6:40 a.m. Tuesday morning and the other departed not long after.

Both raptors had a safe departure. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) staff and volunteers had gathered for "Hell Week" and were poised to protect the falcons when they reached the ground.

One of the young falcons made it to the ground safely in the afternoon. He was banded and returned to the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

"We had two hatch on the sixteenth of May and the other one on the ninteenth," said Bob Walters, watchable wildlife coordinator for the DWR. "That one may need to develop a little more."

Voters on the Salt Lake Peregrines Facebook page picked the names Hunter, Skye and Ace for the young falcons. Radar, BJ and Hawkeye, names based on the television show MASH, finished second.

This is the first time fans of the Facebook page voted on the names. Volunteers during "Hell Week" have traditionally been given the opportunity to name the falcons each year.

Four eggs were laid this year, but only three hatched.

Four eggs also were laid last year, but only one hatched. Solo, as the bird was named, crashed into a building while learning to fly and eventually died from its injuries.

brettp@sltrib.com

Twitter: @BrettPrettyman