At 08:35 PM 12/6/98 -0800, Robert Cleland wrote:
> Last Wednesday morning I watched while a peregrine (presumedly
>"Freeway") divebombed an immature red-tailed hawk in a large cottonwood
>across from Old Architecture on the UW campus. This went on for nearly 15
>minutes, with the peregrine chattering away as she made pass after pass at
>the poor hawk. Finally it gave up and left the area. Another person
>there said he'd watched the same performance almost weekly this winter.

Those of us tracking peregrines in the Seattle area have not been able to
locate "Freeway" in weeks. The bird we are seeing (and some of you are
seeing) on the power towers at the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge is a second year
female from the San Juans; she has been in the area since March. The
description we've gotten of the bird bombarding the immature red-tail on
campus (full helmet, heavy barring) sounds much more like the young island
bird than "Freeway," (rather lightly barred with a strong cinnamon or rufous
wash on her breast.) We think that this bird has probably driven "Freeway"
off, and we would love to locate "Freeway" if she's still around.
Any reports of peregrines around campus or anywhere else are *greatly*
appreciated!
Call the Seattle Peregrine Hotline at 654-4423 or email me at the address below.

Ruth Taylor
Seattle
rutht at seanet.com