A new neighbor

[ramanth]

After getting home from the mildly eventful weekend, I slowly start to crawl out of the car when Andy tells me to stop.

"Kim, there is a HUGE bird outside your door."

I look up at the railing to the deck outside my door and see this:

http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/summer2000/images.summer2000/a8290_26a.jpg
Image by: Eric Waters

:eek: A Peregrine Falcon!!!

She was indeed huge and looking right at us.

Well, we couldn't stay in the car all day, so Andy took ahold of Kia's leash and we all got out.

The falcon didn't fly off but continued to watch us until Andy and Kia started up the walk.

THEN she flew off (soaring a mere foot over my head)
http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/summer2000/images.summer2000/falcon.jpg
Image by: P. Kendall

No idea how long she was perched there. I bet Zam was just having a blast 'falcon watching' ;)

I hope she comes back. :D

Never seen a bird of prey so close in it's natural habitat before. It was pretty cool!

[mugsy]

Oh I'm jealous!! How cool is that?? I wish I had seen it. I remember at my parent's old house in Wisconsin, we always watched the Bald Eagles. I even had a close encounter with one when it decided to dive at me when I was swimming.

I hope she comes back to visit you too. Maybe she has a nest nearby.

[ramanth]

I even had a close encounter with one when it decided to dive at me when I was swimming.

That must of been a sight! I've seen Bald Eagles at a distance in the UP (using binoculars).

To bad I didn't have a camera with me. :( I hope she does have a nest nearby.

[popcornbird]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Aren't those eggs beneath her? We went out of town yesterday and saw lots of birds of prey on the way. Hawks and one bald eagle! It was so cool!

[primabella]

that wasn't the actual bird you saw was it :eek:
still, very beautiful :) i love wild birds! i hope she comes back soon. let us know :)

[ramanth]

popcornbird and primabella:
The pictures are not of the bird I saw. I just got some pics of a Peregrine Falcon off a web page so people who hadn't seen one would know what they look like.

She looked just like that though. :)

I hope I can pictures of her myself. :D

[joycenalex]

a few springs back, alex the wonder dog and i came upon a perigrine falcon eating. we would go to do some off leash playing at a high school/community athletic field along a river and a highway. it was a perfect hunting area for a falcon. when i realized that ' that sitting bird wasn't no geese', i snapped the leash back on alexs' harness. he was QUITE interested:eek: in her and her dinner, a rabbit i think. he'd have a been a quick bite for her. we sat and watched her eat her fill, about 30 minutes, then she flew off. i used the pickup bags to clean up the very minimal remains, cause i knew the next time we went, he'd run right to that spot to check., and he still checks the area, just in case.

[slleipnir]

Wow, that would be neat!! We don't really have any large birds here, really the biggest animal we have is like..the red fox! lol. Very cool :D

[Crikit]

We used to have a perigren living on the building next door to us, but we haven't seen her for a year or so. It was really interesting waking up in the morning to a falcons cal rather then robins and sparrows which are the usual birds we have around here.