[SBB] Likely Peregrine Falcon at SJSU

[jennifer rycenga <[[email protected]]>]

You never know what you'll see if you get outside!  Today I was giving a guest lecturer an hour-long tour of the San Jose State campus (where I have taught for ten years).  We had just stepped out into the walkway that was formerly 9th street, when I saw a bird of prey flying swiftly upwards towards the Business Tower (10th and San Antonio).  When it gave some quick flaps and then a glide I assumed it would be an accipter, but it was just using the glide to land at the top of the Business Tower.  There, on a top floor window ledge, it commenced to disassemble a small bird it had caught.  During the gruesome operation (without binoculars, the identity of the victim cannot be determined), the falcon was standing cooperatively in profile.  While, regretably, I did not have my binoculars with me, the bird was clearly a large, dark falcon, almost certainly a PEREGRINE FALCON.  It had a dark hood, dark barring on its chest, and its folded wings were quite pointed.  Plus, it was ea!
 ting out in the open atop a tall building - a behavior I associate much more with falcons than with accipiters.  This happened around 9:00 am.

I only got to watch it for a minute (though my guest was suitably impressed).  This was my first Peregrine on campus, or, for that matter, in downtown San Jose.  While I know that San Francisco, Monterey, and Oakland have all had building-top Peregrines,  I don't remember hearing about them in San Jose's downtown.  I've seen Merlins on campus, but this morning's bird was way too large for a Merlin.  

If this bird becomes a regular, I'll post again.  In the meantime, for those brave enough to think they can park in the area, the bird was on the west-facing side of the Business Tower.

Jennifer Rycenga
Half Moon Bay (home)
SJSU (work)
[[email protected]]



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