Date: 09/04/1998

Number: 1

2:30 pm, pdt, a young Peregrine falcon spent about half an hour on the ledge outside my 27th floor office window eating a small (mouse? chick? bat?) animal. The falcon was immature, judging by the brown coloration of its back and the top of its head. It was about the size of a robin -- 7 - 8 inches. It had a hard time maintaining its balance in the strong wind that was blowing. After eating, it rested a few minutes and flew away.
This falcon was about half to one-third the size of a Peregrine falcon that frequented this ledge (outside balcony without doors) last winter. The balcony overlooks the Sacramento River and is close to fields. The falcon last winter would catch and eat pigeons, but the pigeons are about twice the size of this year's juvenile falcon, so I don't expect to see pigeons on my ledge for awhile. I wonder what would happen if last year's falcon and this juvenile showed up at the same time. Are they territorial?

Sacramento, CA

Latitude: 38.6 Longitude: -121.5

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