Cal Falcons

This is the second encounter between Annie and the adult female interloper yesterday. As you can see, she is banded, although we haven't been able to get the band number yet. Hopefully, Annie was able to dissuade the interloper from hanging around too much. It is unlikely that this bird is one of Annie and Grinnell's offspring, as they've only had two female chicks - Lawrencium and Poppy. Poppy would still be in brown juvenile plumage right now and Lawrencium has her own territory on Alcatraz, so is unlikely to visit.

Annie politely asking Grinnell if he's found any lunch yet today.

We are excited to announce Annie and Grinnell's brand new TikTok account! Come join us for your regular dose of Falcon footage! https://www.tiktok.com/@cal_falc/video/6942939130984746246

Today is the last day to order t-shirts if you'd like them to arrive in time for hatch day! https://www.customink.com/fundraising/campanile-peregrines-6

Grinnell caught sleeping on the job.

Looking to rock some fancy duds for hatch day? Our current t-shirt fundraiser will ship before April 17th! https://www.customink.com/fundraising/campanile-peregrines-6

Happy #Halloween! This year, Poppy decided to dress up to celebrate one of her favorite shows coming back. #TheMandalorian #ThisIsTheWay

A couple of awesome new pictures of Lawrencium (left, Peregrine Class of '18) and her mate out on Alcatraz. Looking good, Larry!

In good light, you can sometimes see Annie's nictitating membrane, aka the "third eyelid", when she blinks. Peregrine Falcons use this clear membrane extensively while hunting. While diving, they blink rapidly to keep their eyes clear of debris and keep their eyes moist.

Just one day left on our fall t-shirt fundraiser! We've already raised over $1,000 to support education, streaming, and research. Huge thank you to everyone who has supported us already! https://www.customink.com/fundraising/campanile-peregrines4

Today is the last day to register to vote, Bears! Don't let Annie, the civically-minded falcon down! #GoBearsGoVote #GetOutTheVote https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/civic-engag/register

One hour until our Q&A begins! Join us on Youtube to celebrate Homecoming weekend and migration season! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=colWYbBpvlY

Annie snoozing on a Saturday afternoon.

Our first migrant we profiled this week was the Sharp-shinned Hawk. Today it's its larger cousin, the Cooper's Hawk! Like Sharp-shinneds, Cooper's Hawks are largely bird predators. In addition to hunting in forests, Cooper's are very common in cities. Cooper's and Sharp-shinneds are very similar - female Sharp-shinneds and male Cooper's can even overlap in size in some cases. One of the best ways to differentiate Cooper's and Sharp-shinneds is to look at their tail. Sharp-shinneds have a very strongly square tail, whereas Cooper's have a very round tail. Photo: Ashley Bradford

To mark our upcoming raptor migration Q&A with Golden Gate Raptor Observatory to celebrate UC Berkeley homecoming, we're going to be featuring a few common fall migrants. Think you know who this is? We'll reveal it this afternoon Q&A 10/18 @ 2:30 Pacific: https://youtube.com/watch?v=colWYbBpvlY

Today's raptor migrant is a classic: the Red-tailed Hawk! Unlike Peregrine Falcons, Red-tailed Hawks mostly hunt mammals and can often be seen on the sides of roads. Their wings are relatively broad, allowing them to soar for long periods with little effort. Photo: Alan Vernon

To mark our upcoming raptor migration Q&A with Golden Gate Raptor Observatory to celebrate UC Berkeley homecoming, we're going to be featuring a few common fall migrants. Think you know who this is? We'll reveal it this afternoon Q&A 10/18 @ 2:30 Pacific: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=colWYbBpvlY

Did you guess our first migrant? It's the Sharp-shinned Hawk! This small raptor hunts small birds, most frequently in forested or semi-open areas. One of the key diagnostic features is its squared-off tail. Learn more this Sunday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=colWYbBpvlY Photo: Peregrine Fund

One week left in our fall t-shirt fundraiser! Come celebrate fall migration in style! All proceeds go towards education, stream maintenance, and research. https://www.customink.com/fundraising/campanile-peregrines4