Subject: Tacoma Peregrine Drama
Date: Feb 26 11:18:56 1996
From: "James R Lyles III, Technical Publications Editor, Tacoma, WA "<jrlyles at usgs.gov> - "James R Lyles III, Technical Publications Editor, Tacoma, WA "<jrlyles at usgs.gov>
Will they take up housekeeping in Tacoma? Or will they migrate?
The solo wintering peregrines from past years in Tacoma have
disappeared after the second week of March. So we're on the edge
of our seats waiting to find out whether this year's pair
of peregrines stays or goes.
The two Tacoma peregrines are still keeping each other company
and still showing other amatory signs--bowing to each other,
sharing pigeons, and, at least once, attempting a hasty but
apparently unconsumated treading. So we're hopeful. But we're
not (cough, cough) counting our chicks before they're hatched.
The falcons haven't yet taken up either of the two nestboxes put
up by the folks of the fledgling Tacoma Peregrine Project (on
the First Interstate Building and the Key Bank Building) or the
third box put up by others (on the Frank Russell Building).
Recently, the falcons have whiled away their days on the 11th
Street bridge, though they usually roost on the First Interstate
Building.
If you're curious about what the birds are up to or if you
want to report what you've seen of them, call the new
Tacoma Peregrine Project Hotline at (206) 925-6599. Barbara
Irby maintains and updates the information every day.
If you have a web browser, you can also see an on-line version
of the news story about the project in _The News Tribune_ of
February 23 (page B-1). See <http://www.tribnet.com>.
--cheers, Jim Lyles