Backyard and Beyond

Wednesday at dusk: Peregrines (Falco peregrinus) on the steeple.Thursday morning, the fifth straight day of seeing Peregrines — either here in Brooklyn or across the East River at 55 Water St. This picture is from two blocks away. Gamaliel King’s steeple is a challenge to shoot between the trees, row houses… And of course the closer you are, the steeper the angle.But what’s that pale blob on lower-middle right?This steeple, with all its nooks and crannies, has never been, as far as I know, a Peregrine nesting site. It is the tallest structure for several blocks ’round, and a regular perching site for Peregrines. There is a local nest, or scrape, in the neighborhood, at the House of Detention, just four blocks away.

However, for this pair, there may be some trouble in paradise.It turns out that in every picture I took, the toes of this bird’s leg are curled up like so. Except for this one, from further away down the street:It’s not as clear here, but it sure looks like the foot is hanging lame, at the joint between tibiotarsus/tarsometatarus(?). Not at all good news for a raptor.

Updated: Ah, good news, perhaps: I’ve heard from a Peregrine professional, who reports “Peregrines will often perch on one leg, with the other raised and foot curled, as several of your photos show. To me, the falcon looks like it’s in a normal resting posture. I’m not sure how long you watched this falcon, but sometimes they’ll hold that position for a while.”