Tweeters--

On Saturday, Greg Pelletier reported being hassled by the local Dogberries,
who couldn't believe that he was watching the Tacoma peregrines.

I too watched the Tacoma peregrines on Saturday and on Sunday. And on both
days I too was questioned, though not as crudely as Greg was. On Saturday,
as I stood on the bridge, a Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy stopped his car
and, without getting out of the car, asked what I was doing. When I told
him I was watching the peregrines on the bridge, he actually seemed to
BELIEVE me. He smiled, said something nice about saving peregrines and
eagles, and drove on.

Today, Sunday, I was again on the bridge when a Tacoma Police Officer
stopped his car and got out to ask me what I was doing. I told him I was
watching peregrine falcons.

"Peregrine falcons, huh," he muttered as if thinking he'd heard this one
before.

"What's in the backpack?"

"Camera gear."

"Do you work for the USGS now?" he asked, eyeing my USGS cap and the USGS
pin on my jacket.

"Yes." I showed him my government ID card.

He said something about trouble in the tideflats and moved back to his
patrol car, still dubious.

Meanwhile, G.P., the male peregrine, had returned from a hunting trip over
the tideflats and had landed on the east counterweight.

--Jim Lyles, Tacoma

see the Tacoma Peregrine web page--
<http://www.nwrain.com/~jrlyles/Tacoma_Peregrines.html>