Subject: RE: loud peregrine
Date: Oct 15 09:54:18 1998
From: "James R Lyles III, Technical Editor, Tacoma, WA "<jrlyles at usgs.gov> - "James R Lyles III, Technical Editor, Tacoma, WA "<jrlyles at usgs.gov>



Christopher Hill (15 Oct) saw a peregrine "diving repeatedly"
and KAK-KAK-KAkking at Red-tailed Hawk perched on a
telephone pole at the UW. Hill wondered "why the
Peregrine was so upset at an ordinary looking Red-tailed
Hawk."

I can't say what was on your peregrine's mind, but I
can testify that peregrines and redtails in downtown Tacoma
don't get along at all.

A few years ago before our downtown peregrines took up
year-round residence, a female peregrine who wintered here
used to engage in recurring air battles with a pair of
redtails who patrolled the air space above and between
the taller buildings. The redtails, by the way, did
take pigeons when they could surprise them. And even
though the female peregrine was just a winter visitor, she
seemed to consider the downtown air space her own
territory.

I watched some spectacular avian dogfights over the
Frank Russell Building, which seemed to be border of
the two territories.

When a pair o' peregrines settled in downtown Tacoma
permanently three years ago, they chased the redtails
out for good. The redtails now occupy a territory northwest
of downtown, and they don't stray into downtown anymore.

--cheers, Jim Lyles
Tacoma