Darwin shrugged
Sunday November 18th 2012, 12:03 am
Filed under: Wildlife

I wrote about Twinkies last night because I wasn’t quite ready to talk about the news that had just come in.

Shadow, almost ready to take his first flight.

Shadow, two weeks ago, with his falcon (falcon meaning the female of the peregrine species, tiercel being the male). Come next spring, he would have been of age and they would have been setting up their first nest together.

I had never understood the reasoning behind spending money to bury power lines in this part of the world.  Back home, where hurricanes rip through on a regular basis, sure, but here it’s the earth that is more likely to move and cause damage.

Now I get it. There are major power lines criss-crossing major bird flyway territory around the Bay, and word is that he wasn’t the first.

Shadow was stooping (the swift, steep dive that peregrines do at up to a clocked 241 mph) and he hit one of those wires. Apparently one of the birdwatchers saw it happen and got him to the proper rescue authorities, but there was nothing they could do but let him go painlessly.

The good news is that the species has recovered enough that this is not catastrophic, just personal. And his falcon, who already has a territory to claim her own, will thus easily find a new mate.


9 Comments so far
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Is Shadow the one who watched over your back yard? If so, I am doubly sorry.

Comment by Lynn 11.18.12 @ 6:39 am

I’m sorry. It’s not enough to say, but it means what I want you to understand. That I’m sorry for you, for Shadow, for the bird world.

Comment by afton 11.18.12 @ 6:49 am

Oh goodness. I’m so sorry. Thankfully, there was mercy…

Comment by Channon 11.18.12 @ 7:27 am

How sad. That is just not a good thing.

Comment by Sherry in Idaho 11.18.12 @ 8:25 am

How very sad. Another way in which the human and natural worlds match up, and not always comfortably.

Comment by Pegi 11.18.12 @ 10:01 am

so sad!

Comment by Bev 11.18.12 @ 10:16 am

Yes, sad indeed! Nature is not kind, and mankind can be no help with wires and such!

Comment by Don Meyer 11.18.12 @ 11:46 am

Ach. When such a beautiful thing passes from the world before its full potential is revealed, it always casts a shadow on the heart. This one truly does.

I can only counsel that we look to spring.

Comment by twinsetellen 11.18.12 @ 11:55 am

Awww…so, so sad. And yet life goes on, trusting that his falcon will indeed find another mate. Peace to his rescuers for trying, and helping him slip away painlessly. The grace we can offer our animal friends.

Comment by DebbieR 11.18.12 @ 10:21 pm



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