Hello Friends,
I hope each of you are well and enjoying the outdoors during this
summertime. I have have been in my "office" observing Peregrine Falcons
every day since March '09. By choice I spend every day, all day,
outside in one of the worlds most beautiful coastal areas, observing
wild Peregrine Falcons. I also enjoy the privilege of hanging out with
some of the finest people in our world, the San Diego City Lifeguards.
I count myself as one very fortunate man.
I am sure many of you are aware of the Peregrine eyrie (nest) at
Torrey Pines. It has been well publicized since last year historic
fledging event. This year the Peregrines at Torrey Pines, Sid and Xena.
moved their eyrie to a hole much higher up on the cliffs. Last years
eyrie was only 60 feet above the beach and there was always human
activity just below the site. Xena and Sid's new site is at a much
higher elevation, in a sandstone hole that I investigated along with
Scott Francis back in 2006. This year I observed both Peregrines in and
around their new eyrie and took a photos of them in March (see attached
photo). From April up to last week, 3 volunteer observers helped me
monitor the site. They each kept notes of Peregrine activities. Thanks
to their efforts I can report the following good news; Xena and Sid
produced 4 new Peregrines, 1 tiercel (male) and 3 falcons (females).
They started fledging on May 17, the male fledgling being first out of
the eyrie by jumping down to another hole in the cliff below the eyrie.
After fledging the young Peregrines flew to the top of the bluffs and
were observed and photographed by many visitors to the Guy Fleming
trail over the last several weeks. All four fledglings are now in
dispersal mode, expanding their flight range and seeking out their own
territory, far from their parents .
At my main monitoring site (my office), I monitored the
Peregrines, Sid and Nancy, everyday, all day for 80 days. They
successfully produced one falcon (female) that fledged on June 9, at 42
days old. Lots of you are probably wondering just like myself, why just
one fledgling? Early in the incubation phase, there was a juvenile
"intruder falcon" that made several forays into their eyrie. This
intruder falcon always showed up when Sid was taking his turn
incubating the egg(s). The intruder falcon actually landed in the
eyrie, forcing Sid out, then it would walk around (looking for scraps
of food). Sid would fly out and dive bomb the the eyrie site, sometimes
forcing the intruder falcon to fly out, where he would engage it in
mid-air chases and combat . This intruder showed up four different
times during egg incubation. It is very possible that while this
intruder falcon was in the eyrie that it walked on and broke eggs. We
will never know because there was never any Investigative nest entry
this year (to band the eyase and collect egg shell fragments). Images
of the intruder Falcon and Sid can be see on my website, under the
"New" Intruder Falcon gallery.
The most interesting Peregrine Falcon news to occur this year was
the discovery of a new coastal eyrie up in LA county. The adult
Peregrines breeding at this site are Portia and Edge, who were born at
my La Jolla site in 2007! Yes that's right, brother and sister, the
first scientifically documented Incestuous mating pair of Peregrine
Falcons here in California. Their photos (showing their band numbers)
were posted on an Internet nature photography site. I was informed
about the photos by Jeff Sipple (who has been banding Peregrines in LA
and OC for 25 plus years). Shortly thereafter I got in touch with the
photographer who took the photos. He not only invited me to his home,
but he and a friend both agreed to monitor the new site and keep a
nesting chronology, and photo-document the Peregrine activities. I
spent one day at this site and observing both Portia and Edge. We
watched as they copulated a few different times during the day. The
result of their mating is two beautiful fledglings, one tiercel and one
falcon. They are now in dispersal mode.
You can view much of my Peregrine Falcon observations on my newly updated website
www.sharpeyesonline.com. Please take time to view the home page
slide show, as I think you will enjoy the variety of images. If you click on the "
Portfolio"
button you will see that I have created several new galleries that show
various types of Peregrine Falcon behavior. I have also posted new
Red-tail Hawk, Northern Harrier, Wetland and Shorebird galleries. You
can view larger photos and read detailed descriptions of some on my
images by going to the "
Links" page and clicking on my
Flickr Blog.
I want to thank each of you has have made purchases from my
website Storefront, supporting my volunteer work. Also a special thank
you to Ruth and Gene for your financial and moral support this past
year. I hope each of you will consider visiting my storefront and
purchasing a photo, giclee on canvas or other gift product. If you do
not find the image you would like please contact me and I will make
sure it gets put up in the Storefront. I will also consider "custom"
print request and photo assignments. Thank you for supporting my work.
I wish each of you the best and hope you all take the time to get outside and observe nature.
Cheers, Will
P.S. Attached are photos from
my website and one that is on display a the SD Natural History Museum
"Best of Nature" photography show.
"It is not enough to understand the natural world; the point is to defend and preserve it" Edward Abbey
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better" Albert Einstein
