Re: Peregrines in winter?

["Tim Lewis" <tlewis@buncombe.main.nc.us>]

We have had at least one Peregrine working on the Pidgeon population for
the past several winters but this is the first report I have heard this
year.  Lori usually drives through downtown a few times a day and has
seen them near the Civic Center and other places, but not yet this year.
I have seen Coopers in the evenings near the Federal Building regularly
in the spring but seldom near the Civic Center or City Hall.  They seem
to stay out of each others way.

Tim Lewis & Lori Unruh
Weaverville, NC
tlewis@buncombe.main.nc.us

> Some of the Peregrines (if not all) that nest in Western NC stay
around all
> winter. They are now beginning to get interested in mating. There is a
pair
> at Looking Glass Rock near Brevard and at least one has been seen at
Devil's
> Courthouse on The Parkway. They are seen on several of the Christmas
Counts
> in the area.
> A few years ago one spent some time on the BB&T Building in Asheville.
At
> that time there was also a Coopers Hawk around the same area so, while
it is
> entirely possible that the bird seen eating a Pigeon was a Peregrine
it
> might have been a Coopers. If the observer got a good look and knows
> something about raptors the report is probably accurate.