Peregrine Falcon - I think

 So working upstairs in my loft I noticed my dog intensely watching something outside.  I figured it was either the bunnies, the chipmunk or the squirrels that come and visit us on a daily basis.  But then I noticed  my other dog, the older one who usually ignores what’s happening outside unless the younger one alerts him, joining the “watch party”.  I looked up from the cat toys I was making and saw the falcon that lives in the area.  I’ve seen it fly in the common area behind my house flying really low and every time I think, geeeeezzzz I wish I could catch that on video.  Well I was able to capture him on video and I wasn’t going to give up until he flew away.  So after 7 long minutes he finally decided to take off and I did get it on video.  Not as spectacular as I was hoping for but still pretty awesome I think.  Here is just a photo.  I need to figure out how to post the video of it but for now the photo will be it.

I think it’s a Peregrine Falcon by it’s markings.  After doing some research as to what kind of bird he/she is I found some interesting info on https://www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/falcon.htm page (National Park Service).  Here is part of the info but there is lots more if you go to the actual page.  

“Peregrine falcon populations in the eastern United States declined sharply between the 1940s and 1960s due primarily to the widespread use of the pesticide DDT. DDT accumulates in the peregrine falcon’s system due to eating birds that eat food contaminated with DDT. For the peregrine, DDT interrupts the ability to produce calcium. The consequence is that contaminated peregrine falcons lay thin eggs prone to breaking and hatching failure. DDT was banned in 1972 and Peregrine falcons were placed on the endangered species list in 1973. Cornell University (later the Peregrine Fund), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), and various natural resource agencies began reintroducing peregrine falcons back into their native range. This program involved the release of captive-reared peregrines with the hope that these birds would re-colonize their historic breeding range. Between 1975 and 1993, over 1200 young falcons were released throughout the East by regional peregrine falcon recovery teams. From 1978 to 1993 approximately 250 of those falcons were released in Virginia. These birds were released into the wild using a management technique referred to as hacking. Shenandoah National Park is home to a peregrine falcon restoration program. Learn more about peregrine falcon restoration in Shenandoah.”

If you look closely at the video you will see a hummingbird visiting my feeder.  What amazed me is that the hummingbird actually flew up and around the falcon a couple of times!  I know the hummingbird has a nest in a nearby tree since I’ve watched him from my deck flying to and from the nest to my feeder plus I can hear  the tiny babies wanting to be fed.  So I did some research on hummingbirds and found out some really interesting facts as to why hawks or falcons don’t prey on hummers and also why hummers actually like having them in the neighborhood!  https://www.audubon.org/news/why-hawk-hummingbirds-best-friend

Here is a section of the article “ You know what they say about location and real estate. Hummingbird nests often appear in clusters, but for years researchers couldn’t figure out what attracted the birds to certain areas. Turned out the answer was, “good neighbors.”

Biologist Harold Greeney was doing fieldwork in Arizona in 2007 when he and his team realized that breeding hummingbirds often clustered around hawk nests. By 2009, Greeney and company were able to report that the hummers nesting close to hawks were actually more successful at raising chicks. Now, in a study published last week in Science Advances, they are unveiling research into exactly why that seems to be the case.”