Subject: [Tweeters] Peregrines and Pigeons
Date: Mar 27 10:13:16 2006
From: David White - drmwhite at nets.com


This morning at about 7am, the "520 falcon" (Peregrine) was perched on a light standard by the 51st Street overpass at highway 520. Today the bird was solitary, but on at least two prior occasions this year there were Rock Pigeons on the light standard with the Peregrine; once there were more than a dozen pigeons, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with the falcon, in a drizzly rain.
When I first saw this, my initial thoughts were denigrating of pigeon intelligence: how dumb must a prey bird be, to cozy up to a predator?
But later I realized that they may not be so dumb after all. A Peregrine attack is probably much more likely from above, even on the wing, than as a lateral swipe from only inches away. Sitting right next to the big guy might be a good way to keep an eye on him!
David White
drmwhite at nets.com
Bellevue WA