Helped catch a falcon last night
a young lady (not wifey, just another volunteer) and myself cornered 'Hunter', a female falcon, and the vid shows the wrap up....

utoob vid link:
http://youtu.be/RQudhQMp4Yw
watch in high def.

Every year for the last 10 years or so, the wifey and i volunteer to help "catch" FALCONS...when they fledge.
we recover them if they 'go to ground', tag them and measure the leg bone to determine sex, then put them in a box and take them up to the top of the joeseph smith memorial building, and release them on the roof, to try again.
there is a history of a nesting pair of falcons at the LDS temple square in salt lake city since around 1984.
they put up a proper 'nest box' many years ago, and there are 2 video cameras inside.....
there is a webcam hosted by the church, link here:
http://wildlife.utah.gov/...ore/peregrine-cam.html
local news story:
http://www.kutv.com/news/...tories/vid_12165.shtml

That is a stunningly beautiful bird.
 
Well done!

gallery of photos from local newspaper:
http://www.sltrib.com/csp...107971&pid=6303627

"hunter", fledge #2:

nest box with momma falcon hiding just around corner:

layout of the area we have to track:

What a beautiful bird gonzo! And those claws!

yes, those claws and feet are the business end.
 
flying up to 200 MPH, they will knock a bird out in mid flight, using those feet as 'fists', and then use that sharp little peak on the beak, to snip the prey's spinal cord, voila, dinner.
 

here they were, 3 weeks ago
 

 
trying not to be cute.
 

They're doing a very good job...

 
somebody i know, said 'hideous'

but what's interesting, if you will notice, two have yellow feet, the one above has white/bluish feet, you can tell which one of the babies that one is.....