I was not able to bird in Washington Square Park to look for the resident Red-tailed Hawks today but the sight of a Peregrine Falcon from my kitchen window (in lower Manhattan) this morning nicely made up for it.
The bird stayed on its perch for an hour and fifteen minutes. At one point I pulled a folding chair into my kitchen so I could watch more comfortably. You can’t get much better than that!
Stretch:
Happy shake:
Mourning Doves, Starlings, and Pigeons perched far below the Falcon didn’t seem to be on guard very much:
The Falcon eventually had a final stretch then jumped off its ledge and into a sharp dive:
I was photographing through my window pane at this point but liked its nice stoop (or dive) formation:
I’ve been hearing Blue Jays giving out loud warning cries more frequently lately so I’ll have to keep an eye out to see if this Falcon is a regular (and the cause of all the fuss) and if it may have a nest nearby.
I may not be able to spot the nest until next spring since we’re already well into summer but that’s ok. It’ll be fun to have a new nest to check in on from time to time (especially one so close to home).