![]() “It was pretty much dire straits for falcons, until the captive breeding program led to a comeback. “I think we were down to two of them in California,” Fish said. It’s been a strange year for everyone, and that includes Grace and H2 the peregrine. Peregrine falcons were nearly wiped out nationwide in the 1970s before a ban of the pesticide DDT led to their resurgence. Grace, a peregrine falcon, covers two eggs in a nest box atop San Jose City Hall on April 22, 2021. 14 at his Alamo home of glioblastoma, a fast-growing brain tumor. building in San Francisco and at Muir Beach, as well as atop the Campanile. Monk, 67, had a long career as a wildlife biologist and environmental consultant in Walnut Creek. In past years, the bold raptors have been spotted in the Bay Bridge towers, at the top of the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. “It looked like a pillow fight.”Ībout two dozen nesting peregrine falcon pairs are believed to be in the Bay Area. “The falcon left a pile of feathers,” he said. This was a good sign that the falcons had established themselves, Fish said, and a bad sign for the goose. A passing Canada goose flew over Alcatraz some months ago, and one of the falcons attacked it from behind at high speed, knocking the goose to the Alcatraz pier before swooping down, plucking the goose’s feathers and having lunch. It can be unhealthy for smaller birds to get too close to a peregrine falcon, said Allen Fish, director of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. Zoe Burr / Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy ![]() Two peregrine falcons - one with a famous mother - have made Alcatraz home, and that’s bad news for Canada geese and other potential snacks. Our intention is to provide a resource where the public may learn more about Peregrine Falcon breeding behaviors observed on the nest camera, and to discuss recent sightings of Peregrine Falcons in the North San Francisco Bay Area. ![]() The two birds were spotted mating on March 3 by park biologist Tori Seher, who was dive-bombed by the male a few days later when Seher appeared to get too close to the lovebirds’ nest.īiologists observed the birds cementing their growing relationship by sharing the carcasses of small water birds and other prey that falcons are known to favor. The identity of Lawrencium’s new male friend was not immediately known, but his interest in Lawrencium is certain. As a result of a campus naming contest, the young bird was christened Lawrencium - the name of a chemical element discovered at Cal. Peregrine falcons, such as this one above, are considered the world’s fastest animals, with flight dives that have been recorded at more than 200 miles per hour. She is one of three chicks born in 2018 to the fabled falcons Annie and Grinnell, who for years nested atop UC Berkeley’s 300-foot Campanile bell tower. The female falcon is well-known to Bay Area falcon fans. They prey mostly on smaller birds and mammals, including rodents and bats. The two adult falcons apparently decided to stay put after first being seen on the island last year, officials said. They are about the size of crows, although slightly bulkier and with longer wings. Falcons are known to visit the island from time to time and then, like the daily boatloads of tourists, depart for more hospitable locations.
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