Subject: [Tweeters] Walkup on a peregrine
Date: Jun 19 19:20:46 2009
From: Rob Sandelin - floriferous at msn.com


It was the end of the year campout and I got up early today to make one last
visit to the ocean at Twin Harbors State Park. I followed the trail out to
the beach and walked down to the logs at the winter high water line. I spent
several minutes just standing and enjoying the roar of the ocean and the sea
breeze on my face. As I was about to turn around and head back to facilitate
breakfast a dark shape right next to the log caught my eye and it turned out
to be a peregrine falcon. It was on a gull and eating the breast and I was
astonished that I had stood next to it for about 5 minutes and not noticed
it. It seemed unperturbed by my presence and continued to rip off chunks of
breast meat from the gull. Finally, I think since I was actually looking at
it, it seemed to get kind of edgy, it would quickly raise its head and look
at me with that intense falcon stare. After a bit it lifted off the ground
by simply opening its wings to the breeze and soared past me and along the
top of the dune. I watched as sparrows scattered along its route before it
looped back over the beach and headed out of view. What a great way to end
the school year, although unfortunately all my students were still in bed.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer, Teacher
Snohomish County