Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com
Thursday morning as I watched four Northern harriers hunt the marsh west of Pond #2 at Market Lake Wildlife Management Area, I noticed a smaller raptor circling above them.
“Dang, that looks like a Peregrine,” I thought as I watched the rapid wing-beat of the smaller bird. “I better get some pictures of it to make sure it is a Peregrine.”
One of the harriers that appeared to be an adult began chasing the falcon but it was too slow to catch the swifter falcon. Meantime one of the other three harriers, which appeared to be juveniles, had landed on some dry grass but soon took off to join the other two. When it got about 30 feet in the air, the falcon went into a dive toward the young harrier.
The collision was so violent it sent the harrier plummeting to the ground. Immediately the other three harriers began chasing the falcon and as it flew close enough for me to identify it as the fastest animal in the world; a Peregrine falcon.
Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com
The Peregrine made several attempts to claim the fallen bird, but was chased off each time as the harriers engaged it in tag-team aerial combat, stopping it from getting high enough to use its speed to attack another one. Eventually it flew off to the west but over the next hour the Peregrine conducted two fly-overs but each time the harriers chased if off.
Peregrines usually cruise at speeds between 40 to 60 miles-per-hour but in dives can reach over 200 mph. The one I got pictures of did not reach that speed, but it was still too fast for my “slow” camera and my 75-year-old body to keep up to it. All the attempted dive pictures were a blurry mess.
Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com
Falcons are bird-eaters, but I have never seen or heard of them killing other raptors. Pigeons are Peregrines favorite food with ducks, shorebirds, gulls, songbird and even geese are not safe when they are around. Years ago, I documented one killing a Northern pintail duck while a Canada goose tried to protect it. They also will feed on small rodents and other animals.
In 2004, the Peregrine falcon was named the Idaho State Raptor by the state legislature and it is also featured on the Idaho state quarter.
Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com
During the 1960’s and ‘70’s these magnificent birds almost became endangered as the use of DDT was used to kill rodents which also caused the falcon’s eggs to have a thin shell. These fragile eggs did not survive the nesting process and would break easily. Since the use of DDT has stopped, all raptors that feed on rodents have recovered in numbers. Peregrines have also adjusted to city life as they now use high-rise building to nest on and the abundant city-pigeons provides fast food joints for them.
Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com
Idaho regional wildlife biologist Josh Rydalch, and a master birder Darren Clark, both identified that my pictures were indeed of a Peregrine falcon. I had to play it safe, as I have misidentified Prairie falcons as Peregrines in the past.
If you are looking for unusual wildlife, Market Lake may be the place to go right now. Rydalch said this week they have seen thousands of White-face ibis, a couple of American bitterns and other birds there. I also got pictures of three Great egrets, Great-blue herons and Virginia rails on Thursday.
I will be going back to see if I can catch that Peregrine or another one putting on a show. A slow drive through Market Lake can be very exciting.
Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com
Source: eastidahonews.com
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