[MDOsprey] Falcon Special, Bethesda, Nov. 19
Rob (robert@csa.com)
Fri, 19 Nov 1999 16:50:46 -0500
While I was working around 2 pm this afternoon, my eye was caught by
commotion and motion:
A Merlin zoomed by heading west, at eye/6th story level, scaring the birds.
Then a couple of minutes later a migrating (I presume) small accipiter put
up the birds again as it headed south....
Not even 10 minutes later there was a _huge_ commotion......and after a
short time a large peregrine came rocketing from the east, over the large
low building in front of me, turned toward my window, then flew off to the
south and east. About a minute or so later it returned from the south, but
this time from over the 11th story level roof of my office building. It
quickly dropped in altitude, to about 6th story level, as it passed to the
north. It dropped down a little more and continued to head north, then
east around some buildings before it was completely lost from sight zooming
west. Confused? Dizzy? Just know this: it came within 60 to 75 feet of
my office window, flying fast!
And then, while I was talking to a coworker and we were still looking
out....a ball of starlings brought my attention to a distant Merlin (this
time I actually had my binoculars out). This little baby was circling
higher and I soon lost it while trying to point it out to my coworker. I
don't know if this was the same as the bird I had seen earlier. By now it
was close to 2:30.
And around 3 pm or later....what should appear but a hunting Merlin,
initially heading east to west. My coworkers were able to note the smaller
size of the Merlin compared to the larger falcon they had recently seen at
the same distance (literally). This Merlin was in view off and on for two
or three minutes (or so before it disappeared and we had to return to work.
It put on quite a show, chasing pigeons around. It almost landed on a
high window-ledge of a building, but then flew off.
Simply: two hunting falcons of different species, within a few minutes of
each other. I don't think I've had them so close in time out my sixth
story office window.
Rob Hilton
Bethesda, MD
Rob Hilton
robert@csa.com