I had an adult Peregrine Falcon this morning perched on a
middle-distance snag around 9:30 am on the Paint Branch
Stream Valley Park bike trail, near the Cherry Hill Rd/Seven
Springs Village end.  Distinguished from Merlin by large
size (a crow of comparable size conveniently perched nearby
briefly), strong facial stripe, and folded wingtips
extending nearly to the end of the tail.

That's the first Peregrine I've seen in the area (I've been
birding the trail regularly for several years).  Sadly the
bird was content to remain perched for the 15 mins I could
spare to observe it, so I never got to see it fly.

Other raptors in the vicinity of the falcon: adult
Red-shouldered Hawk, and accipiter species (flew through my
binocular field of view while observing the Peregrine -- too
quick for species ID).

Good birding!

D

-- 
Derek C. Richardson, Ph.D. (CANTAB) ________
Astronomy, U Maryland, College Park MD 20742
Tel: Office 301-405-8786 Fax 301-314-9067 __
Home page: http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/ __