Bethesda: Canada Geese and Peregrine Falcon
Rob Hilton (robert@csa.com)
Thu, 04 Feb 1999 14:56:38 -0500
February 4, 1999--
I was getting out of my car this morning at my office parking lot when I
saw two Canada Geese flying around near building top level about a block
away. I assume this is the same pair that has nested (or has attempted to
nest) on the seventh floor ledge of a nearby office building for the
preceding three years. Today's appearance is their earliest by about a
month....last year's early March appearance had been the earliest....
I was still laughing with amazement as one of the pair landed on top of my
office building while the other bird circled around, honking. It peered
around and down as its mate flew past.
Imagine my surprise when I spied 21 geese flew south toward this pair, and
looped around the building just above top floor level (so 13th-15th story
equivalent) before heading back north! What an absurd beginning to the day!
Yesterday afternoon from my office window I observed a Peregrine Falcon fly
north over Wisconsin Avenue at 6th-8th story level and land on the Guest
Quarters building, just beyond the Acacia Building. This is the first time
I have seen a Peregrine Falcon here for two months....the Rock Doves were
skittish yesterday morning like they hadn't been in weeks, so I already
suspected the return of the Hungry Hawk.
Rob
Rob (Robert) Hilton--robert@csa.com--Bethesda, Md. (very close to
Washington, DC)
"She goes around, opening the doors"--Kristen Hersh