Dennis asked for some detail on the Peregrine using apparatus on the Edgewater
Inn to assist it in it's lunch plans. The falcon was entirely successful
in it's efforts, flying off with it's catch; the effort was not wasted; the
prey was not left behind.

What did the falcon do for 15 minutes? My notes say "waiting it out". It
picked and checked now and then, but basically kept it's head up and turning.

Am I sure it was the prey making the "plaintive calls"? Well, now that I think
about I'm not sure. They started out strong and loud, faded slowly to weak
and faint, finally disappearing.

Adult or juvenile? Remeber I said it was 4 pm. That means the sun was behind
the sighting. From experience, I don't even attempt to describe colors or
striped vs barred with that kind of lighting. My first priority was to
change my position to get better light; the bay and the building prevented
that. And, I wasn't carrying any optics. Personally, It was an adult with
"glinty" shiny gray back, not brownish. I won't call it out in public, though.

Species of prey? No way in the lighting. Smaller than a gull or crow,
maybe a rock dove, more like starling-sized. Dark, not light.

Seems like unproductive behavior? I'm not sure that birds _always_ act
productively, but this seemed pretty efficient to me. Grab it, stab it,
then go eat it.

Dennis did raise another question in my mind, though. Why didn't the
bird just do it's usual thing right then and there instead of waiting it
out, then flying off to someplace else to dine? What made it fly away?
the sidewalk was busy with people, cars were coming and going in the
parking lot, parasails were active overhead. It flew away after the
plaintive calls weakened and finally stopped.

Any more detail, I must plead poor lighting.

Marty Cassidy
cassidym at delphi.com
Seattle, WA