Buckeye 1996-2009

Buckeye, believed to be one of the country's oldest and most prolific male peregrine falcons, died last week after apparently striking a building near its urban nest on the Terminal Tower in Cleveland, Ohio.

I've been following the falcons on the Terminal Tower since they were first provided a scrape maybe twenty years ago. Szell and Zenith were the first I remember. At that time peregrines were still migrating every year and one year when Szell didn't return Zenith bonded with a young falcon from Columbus, Ohio, Buckeye.

It's Clear

Flickr is better than Picasa. I'm not much of a photographer but I couldn't understand why my pictures looked even less impressive here. I finally went back to Flickr and tried uploading from there. Voilà!

Bam!

While I was still sitting here this morning this sharp shinned hawk chased what I think was the jay I heard just before the impact, into the window at high, if not full, speed. My heart is still racing.

The hawk finally flew off without any apparent difficulty but I haven't been out to see if there's another bird on the ground below the window.

...no sign of the jay.

A Hint

A hint of what's to come. Fortunately the weather is going to warm up again at least one more time and give me a chance to finish up a few things outdoors, including planting some garlic in a prepared bed. And cleaning the bird feeders.

After I clean the feeders I'll spray them and some plantings like the rhododendron with my favorite deer deterrent, Tree Guard®.

And that will be it. The season will be over.