[Birdtalk] The boy who cried "Peregrine!"

[John Morgan]

9:30 a.m. and already it's been one of my best ever birding days. It pays to go to early meetings, I guess.
At 7:00 a.m., en route to said meeting, a Sharpie came tearing out of the pines along 90th South by the Wells Fargo on the corner of 27th West in West Jordan. The chase ended quickly and the Sharpie did a quick U-turn, empty-footed, and returned to the cover of the pines.

Later, returning home at 8:20 a.m. (again on 90th South) as I neared my turn on 22nd West, a large "hawk" (a little too large for a Cooper's Hawk) suddenly appeared in my view. I quickly pulled into the center lane and stopped as the bird flew overhead and landed with its pigeon-sized prey atop one of the large power poles that line the North side of 90th South in that location. I raced around the corner and quickly to home (just 200' N of that same pole). A mad dash for the binoculars and to the window revealed the unimaginable!

It was unmistakeable this time. A Peregrine Falcon (yes, this time it DID have the eye patches plainly visible) and a shower of feathers cascading like snow flakes from the top of the pole! Incredible!! 

I watched for 20 minutes, then had the composure to call the next door neighbors who are also birdwatchers. The Falcon stayed on the pole for some 45 minutes, then flew off to the North over the golf course with some sort of unlucky carcass with wings still attached (but much less body mass).

Though I've seen/reported other Peregines over the past several months, each had some element of unverifiability. Each was no doubt a Falcon, but could have been a Prairie Falcon. I'm calling this a "lifer"....first ever verifiable, unmistakeable sighting of a Peregrine. And to think it came right to my doorstep....plainly visible from bedroom window or back deck and in good lighting.

Backyard birding/drive-by birding has never been so good as today. Historical!

Best to all!
John
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