Sorry to top post my own message, but... Now there are two different peregrine falcons that visit the backyard regularly. One is banded but I haven't gotten close enough to get the number off the band. The other is not banded ... now that it is Spring, could this be a mate? In any case, I reported the information on the banded bird as above, and will be watching to see if I have any other substantial information to send to the banding studies. The unbanded bird seems to have great hunting skills. It hangs out in a little hiding hole on the fence during the last 2 hours of daylight, very patiently and still, then systematically dives into nearby evergreen shrubs to try and catch a meal. It was successful tonight. I love it.

bob_n_bernie: I mean EXACTLY like that; and it appears another Dove has been caught by a superior aerialist. I think I may have posted this in the past, but I was washing dishes in the kitchen of my farmhouse one morning, about 10 years ago, or so, and looking out the window and the 18 inches of snow that had fallen overnight. All of a sudden I heard a "thump" on the roof, above my head, and saw a Mourning Dove fall out onto the snow, right in front of the window. It wasn't dead, but it couldn't fly, and was thrashing about in the snow, wings outstretched. I just couldn't figure why the Dove would fly into the roof--the roof was also covered with snow, and it should have been obvious to a (healthy) Dove. So I put my boots on and went outside to see about the Dove, and no sooner had I rounded the corner of the house, than a Peregrine Falcon took of from the roof, where it was perched, and flew toward the woods. It looked back at me a time or two, and seemed to be giving me a dirty look--as though I had spoiled what would have been a just reward for superior hunting skills. And I also realized, that the next time I witnessed such an event, I should wait a bit before sticking my nose in; I probably would have gotten to see EXACTLY what you photographed. And although it may be "gory" to some, it's "Raptor Reality" to me--it's simply survival, for raptors. I agree with gailr--great photo of a most-interesting subject. A beautiful photograph of a beautiful bird is a beautiful thing: one that tells such a story, as the one you posted, is doubly ineresting and rewarding. I have a photo that I took 10 years ago, or so. It's only a silhouette--all in black, because it was too far away, taken with an inferior camera I had in the car, but I still think highly of it. I was driving down the highway, and saw a Sparrow Hawk ascend from a field, toward a power line, with something in its talons. First chance I got, I made a U-turn and went back, while getting my 35 mm camera out of the glove box. I stopped opposite the Hawk, now perched on the wire, and managed to take 4 or 5 pictures, from about 50 or 75 yards away, before it flew off--carrying its prey. Later when I got the pictures developed, one of the pictures was exactly what I had hoped for--a percect silhouette of a Sparrow Hawk sitting on a power line with a mouse, hanging down, in one talon. Of course I would have liked to have a close-up of such a thing--but the Hawk and mouse, clearly silhoutted on the wire, was a rewarding accomplishment, also. Hawks won't always sit still to have their photo taken, particularly when they're aware of your presence. I had the photo enlarged and framed, and keep it on my wall in the country, to show to all those who accuse Sparrow Hawks of eatinng their "chickens", or some other ridiculous assertion.

Debbie congrats on such a rare beauty! I saw my very first Peregrine in my backyard as well in the winter of 2002, not far from you in NJ. They will stay in the area all year long.If you feed songbirds you may get a bird-eating Raptor like this around your neigborhood.They are the fastest bird in the world. once again congrats and great pics btw! -stephen

George and Gracie's precarious nest on a ledge on the SF Bay Bridge was deemed to dangerous to the potential chicks, so the eggs were rescued today. Here is a link that might be useful: Peregrin falcon eggs removed from SF Bay Bridge