Diary - 2003

I'm still absent from the Morro Bay area, but have access to lots of interesting news about what is going on at the Rock through Steve Schubert, Roy Burke, Tom and Diane (of the commercial fishing boat the "Diane Susan") and other observers. All quotes are used in edited form and with the permission of the original writer.

January 4 - From Roy
A couple of news items from Morro Rock. Watching the south side Falcons this morning there were three copulations between about 8:30 and noon. Very early in the year for such behavior. I wonder if our weather contributed - it's been unusually warm and clear the last couple of days. Heavy offshore winds yesterday with a reported high of 73 degrees. And...we don't think the male is "Rudy". We hadn't seen him in at least a week then thought we saw him with "Judy" yesterday. Today I got a good look at his right leg and couldn't detect a band. This promises to be another interesting year.

From Janet at Santa Cruz: The Fish and Wildlife Service is beginning post-delisting monitoring of Peregrines nation-wide beginning this spring. Their plan is to monitor a randomly-selected sample of territories known to have been active within the last five years, every three years for fifteen years. In California, it is a somewhat skewed sample since many territories have not been visited for many years, but still, I was able to provide them with almost a hundred thanks to folks like you all, especially Steve and friends. In many states, there are only a handful of nests or they are all on buildings, but in CA they are so widespread it would take an army these days to monitor them all (estimated 200+).

I got their "random sample" for California a few days after Christmas. Amazingly, it includes both Morro Rock "sites", in addition to several other Central Coast Sites. And, not surprisingly, there will be little if any funding for us to coordinate this "survey". So, point is, your observations, and knowing Morro Rock will be covered would be a great boon if y'all are into it.

January 5 - From Steve
I spent a brief time observing Peregrines today while hundreds of other people were more interested in watching huge waves smash against the breakwater (had to walk in because the parking lot is closed to vehicles). I missed Roy who had been there watching Falcons earlier in the morning. The south side pair- with perhaps a new adult male- was up high soaring in the strong northerly winds, but they did come down several times to briefly perch at and/or enter the old aerie s on the south face, accompanying each other and much chupping going on. Roy observed more copulations this morning.

January 14 - From Roy
Bad news from the north side of the Rock. We're pretty sure the male, known as Zephyr, is gone. It's been over a week since the pair were seen together and that's very unusual. They were normally seen perched together on the Rock or one of the stacks at the power plant and frequently flying together. She (Xena) has been at these places but alone and not for very long. When she soars over the south side that pair drives her off.

After Rudy's recent demise this is unsettling. We've got plenty of ideas but may never know what has happened to these two birds. We'll be following her progress in attracting a new mate. The new south side tiercel seems very territorial so it may be a difficult feat. The south side pair's courtship continues ardently. Life goes on.

January 20 - From Steve
Yesterday morning a group of us met with John Schmitt at dawn to watch Peregrines at the Rock. A large moon and Jupiter hung low over the sea near the flanks of the Rock before sunrise. At 7:00am the north side female pummeled a juv. red-tailed hawk and grounded it in the ice plant on the lower slope Roy and I on the other side watched the Falcon pair dart away at high speed past the dunes and bay on a hunt soon after sunrise.

In the afternoon I gave a Peregrine Falcon slide talk and led a Morro Rock field trip for about 20 participants at the 7th annual Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival.

February 17 - From Steve
I spent some time the last two days trying to figure out what is going on at the Rock. There still seems to be three resident Peregrines, but the 'new' south side male is getting around to both sides. All three were in the air on the north side until the n-side female finally chased away the other female, but the male continued soaring more than 10 minutes in the sea breeze, near to the n-side female perched below. Later these two Peregrines in tandem pummeled two juv. red-tailed hawks simultaneously. Another time the male came by with prey and the n-side female closely accompanied him in the air- as I watched for a possible food exchange- but then her attention was diverted to attacking one of those hawks down below (she knocked the juv. hawk several times off the steep cliff face until the frantic hawk seemed to intentionally seek out and plunge into a deep crevice beneath a large overhang to escape the torment). Anyway, this is speculation, but perhaps this ad. male Peregrine is courting and pair bonding with both females on the south and north sides. With a coordinated watch on both sides and radio communication, I think we should be able to come to a conclusion.

Today I also saw a Peregrine in a fast speed chase after another Peregrine heading away from the Rock that lasted two full minutes, until they were like specks of dust through my binoculars, beyond the city of Morro Bay. It remains to be seen if the s-side male will ever tolerate the presence of a new male showing up attempting to reside with the other female.

February 21 - From Roy
I agree Steve, that we might well have a male working both sides of the Rock. I watched for about three hours this morning and saw a copulation on the south side at about 8:30. Shortly thereafter the male flew off towards the north side. I went there and saw two Peregrines in the air. After a while they settled down and perched together for nearly thirty minutes. After some more flying there was a copulation at about 9:30 and again at abut 10:00. There were three Falcons aloft over the rock several times but there wasn't the battle one would expect if there was a second tiercel in the mix...

February 28
Mike Baird reports that an article titled "The Falcons of Morro Rock" appeared in the December 23, 1972 issue of The New Yorker. Scanned pages of the article are available for viewing at the PeregrineFalcon pages at groups.yahoo.com.

March 9 - From Steve
The adult female appeared to be in the diving board aerie for long periods of time today, 3/9. Occasionally I could hear her chupping from inside. It is possible she has started to lay a clutch of eggs. Other observers at the Rock this morning were Roy Burke, Gary Robertshaw, and Jerry Franklin, who drove up from Santa Barbara. This past week Roy also talked with Peregrine observer Jeff Sipple, up from LA.

March 10 - From Tom
I went by the Rock at 7am and there was two kiting over the north summit. When I first arrived there were gulls sitting everywhere. One gull was sitting in the 2001 nest. I scanned and didn't see any sign of our friends. A friend pulled up and as we chatted the Rock exploded [an illusion] with a thousand gulls erupting at once. The gulls balled up over the parking lot and two Falcons began to dance over the north summit. They stayed up there for quite a while, it seemed something had their attention.

I had boat work so I returned to Beach Street. Twice during the day the pair came racing in a hunting type flight mode above the Shell Shack, a local pigeon hangout and then across the street to the Eucalyptus grove. The birds [crows and pigeons mostly] found this quite disturbing. Diane and I had a good laugh and felt we were blessed to live in the Bay. One Falcon landed on the same eucalyptus branch three times during the day. We cruised the south side just before dark and saw two Peregrines - one at the diving board and the other just below.

Last Friday [7th] at 9:30am the tiercel brought kill to the north side female at the 2001 hole.

March 12 - From Steve
This morning a striking adult Peregrine Falcon was perched at a small pothole entrance on the sea cliff above 'Smuggler's Cove", in Montana De Oro State Park. It is viewed at eye level from the Bluffs Trail (looking north towards Spooner's Cove and the dunes beyond). This is the same pothole (directly beneath a small dilapidated wooden cross) that was frequently perched at one year ago by a juvenile Peregrine- the same bird now in adult plumage? I had not seen or heard reports of a Peregrine at this exact spot the past year until again just this past week.

March 20 - From Steve
This morning Dean Thompson saw an adult Peregrine Falcon perched at the usual Smuggler's Cove bluffs location in Montana de Oro, where one has been observed several times the past several weeks. An indication that it may have paired up was later seeing two Peregrines hunting and catching a shorebird further along the Bluff's Trail. Then the Peregrines flew back in the direction of Smuggler's Cove. In the afternoon John Roser also watched a Peregrine hunting over the adjacent Spooner's Cove, forcing an oystercatcher to several times plunge beneath the sea surface to escape.

March 6 - From Steve
This evening, 4/6, at Morro Rock a cold NW wind was blowing so strongly it made tears stream down my face and observing through binoculars was difficult. About a hundred gulls soared into the brisk wind above the summit, followed by their alarmed vocalizing and repeated scattering in a panic when the local red-tailed hawk invaded the gull flock several times.

I took some shelter from the winds on the south side of Morro Rock and at 6:30pm the tiercel (male) Peregrine brought in prey- there was a food transfer and incubation exchange at the 'diving board' aerie . The female fed briefly at a perch on the Rock and within 12 minutes was back at the edge of the aerie , intermittently wailing at the male incubating inside for the next 55 minutes until finally just before dark the tiercel reemerged and departed, and the female hopped inside for a second incubation exchange. The tiercel darted around the corner out of view.

I was not able to find the resident north side female Peregrine this evening- it is tantalizing to speculate that she may also be incubating eggs in the other aerie . Last year two pairs of Peregrines successfully fledged young at Morro Rock, an 'historical' event at the Rock and a rare record across all of North America of such close nesting proximity of territorial Peregrine Falcons. This year there is one new male (both of last year's breeding males disappeared this past winter) and the same two resident females at the Rock, and the male pair bonded with both females soon after his arrival. This tiercel was observed delivering food to the female at the n-side aerie as recently as one week ago, and other food transfers and copulations have been seen there earlier this season. So once again another unusual occurrence in the Morro Rock Peregrine saga is taking place, and it will be interesting to observe if two simultaneous nesting attempts by one male is occurring. I will be out at Morro Rock next Sunday morning, 4/13, with radios for communications on both sides for others that would like to help out with observations and figure out 'the rest of the story".

May 4 - Southside Babies!! - From Steve
The south side Peregrine pair have hatched their eggs in the 'diving board' aerie , sometime at the beginning of May. This weekend, 5/3-5/4, the tiercel has been bringing food to the aerie and the female also retrieved cached prey and returned to the aerie , with the telltale sign of plucked feathers drifting out of the aerie on the wind during feeding of the chick(s).

May 10 - From Roy
I stopped by Shell Beach today and was treated to quite a show. Two youngsters have already fledged and are able fliers. I watched mock combat between them and with the mother. She stooped on gulls a couple of times, perhaps for instruction to the juveniles. Fun watching until the fledglings finally pooped out after about twenty minutes and were seen huddled on the edge of the cove just north.

No sign of the south side eyass (eyasses?) at Morro Rock. Judy's very diligently feeding and brooding whatever's in there. We've noticed a new patch of whitewash just below the diving board... Last year the first sighting of the lone eyass was on May 18.

May 18 - From Steve
Once again, I had a surprise random encounter with someone this morning, 5/18, who's history with the Morro Rock Peregrines goes back 28 years ago. This fellow visiting with his family came up and asked the usual question "what are you looking at" through the spotting scope. He then started to talk about how as a student at Morro Elementary School he and his friends had found an injured Peregrine Falcon . . . at that moment I had to interrupt him to tell him I knew about that story and it happened in the 1970's. 36-year old Bob Yerkes from Los Osos recalls when, at about the age of 8 years old, he and his school friends found the injured Falcon on the ground near Hwy.1, in the area between today's Lemos Feed and Pet Supply store and the old Von's Shopping Center. He fought about it with his friend who wanted to kill it, then they rescued the Falcon by putting it in a box. In the Peregrine history article I have written, the rest of the story is the Falcon had a compound fracture of the wingtip due to a possible power line collision, when it was found flopping around on the ground there in December, 1975. Bone transplant surgery-using a piece of rib bone for the grafting- was conducted at the Santa Cruz Veterinary Clinic. She was not able to be returned to the wild and remained in captivity. Morro Coast Audubon Society members presented engraved plaques of appreciation (designed by MCAS President Don Parham) to the students at a school assembly. So, all these years later, I met this "kid" now visiting with his kids at the Rock, and got to hear the details of the story firsthand.

This past month there have been other surprise visitors at the Rock: Christy (Craig) Sherr from Malakoff Diggins State Park in the Sierras, who was the Morro Rock Peregrine nest site attendant 10 years ago, and retired Fish and Game Biologist Bob Mallette from Sacramento, who spoke at an MCAS meeting in 1978 about Peregrine Falcons and sparked my interest- that same year I was hired as a Peregrine nest guard at Huff's Hole. I also talked today with a birder from Germany, where Peregrines are the "vonderFalcon". Who will show up next?

The s-side female has begun hunting for prey along with the male to feed the chick(s)- nearly 3 weeks old now- at the south side aerie . The other resident ad. female Peregrine has definitely taken up residence on the eastside (Target Rock side), occupying a crevice with a rocky ledge to perch on, and a potential aerie sometime in the future. The city is now making an effort to find an alternate site to the parking area near Target Rock for launching the 4th of July fireworks. I am requesting everyone please continue to remain vigilant on this matter, especially during this next several days of decision making by the city, and thank-you to those of you have been supportive and helpful with your e-mails, letters, and phone calls on this 'heated' issue launching fireworks so near the Morro Rock Ecological Reserve.

May 24 - From Steve
I observed 3 hours today with Roy and Ella (and their grandson). The tiercel brought prey to the s-side aerie twice within two hours (we still have not got a good look at the chick(s) then he perched awhile around on the eastside above Target Rock, took fight and went into the 'new' eastside crevice with the other female "Xena"- their chupping vocalizations were heard coming from inside for about 10 minutes, then he was out and soared high disappearing into the stratus cloud cover, probably away on another hunt. The female reemerged perched at the edge of the crevice where she now sits, preens and rests for long periods of time. She is not incubating, but could she possibly have chicks in there? I had wondered where she was for about a month when I could not find her perched anywhere at the usual n-side perches, so now I would like to think she was incubating in there during that period of time she was 'missing'. We will be out tomorrow morning to observe again.

At 2pm a red-tailed hawk came stooping down from the Rock, wings folded in at high speed (and pursued by a tiny passerine). The hawk caught a gopher-sized rodent among the grass and ice plant on the low dunes behind the restroom facility, then climbed and soared with the prey in one foot, disappearing over the summit of the Rock. When it reappeared and perched on the eastside about two minutes later, it no longer was carrying the prey. Perhaps a food delivery to a red-tail nest somewhere up there high on the Rock.

May 25 - From Steve
I observed 3 1/2 hours on the eastside today while in radio contact with Roy on the s-side (who was overwhelmed at his scope with Memorial Day weekend visitors). The tiercel delivered prey to the s-side aerie 10:30am- same time as yesterday. The female on the e-side left her crevice this morning, cak-ing at the red-tails, perched briefly on the power plant stack, then was gone more than 2 1/2 hours. She finally returned and flew directly to the crevice but did not bring in food, then took flight to attack the red-tail, and joined by the tiercel also cak-ing at the hawks. She perched elsewhere this time, so I assume they do not have chicks to feed in the crevice site after all.

The male red-tailed hawk hunted in the sea breeze more than 2 hours above and near me- must have made a dozen stoops until finally grabbing a lizard on the east face, took it to the nest somewhere over the summit away from my view, and, like yesterday was back 2 minutes later, to the constant consternation of the Western gulls. The hawk sometimes perches at the same whitewashed perches the Peregrines use. Only once did the hawk apparently go after a ground squirrel, but may hunt them more often early in the mornings when not so many people parked there feeding squirrels and fishing. There are more than 50 ground squirrels there on the rip rap adjacent to Target Rock in a 75 yard stretch, many of them small juveniles wrestling with their siblings. Also, the last two days fisherman have been catching several thornback and bat rays off those rocks.

May 28 - From Roy
Finally caught a glimpse of a young one's beating wing this evening about seven. We've been seeing the telltale downy feathers blowing about, but the chick(s) stay deep in the right side of the hole.

May 31 - From Roy
We saw an eyass on the ledge of the diving board hole this morning. It was very attentive, craning it's neck to watch gulls flying overhead and head bobbing at all the activity below. It's feathering ages it at about four weeks. That's consistent with our guess that Judy began incubating about the first of April. No sign of siblings but there were a lot of feathers blowing out of that hole!

June 1 - From Steve
Two nestlings seen at the edge this morning, vigorously flapping wings and causing a flurry of feathers to become airborne out of the s-side aerie . Tiercel delivered prey and still goes around to the e-side to perch near the other resident female at her shaded crevice. The tiercel pummeled and grounded the resident red-tailed hawk several times. Other observers today were Roy B., Rosemary F. Mary A. and long drives made by John from Visalia and Jerry from Santa Barbara.

June 10 - From Roy
Ella and I spent a couple of hours at the Rock this evening. Initially saw one eyass in the grassy hole to the right of the diving board, but no sign of the other. After about an hour the female adult flew in and landed on one of her favorite perches, about seventy-five feet from the aerie, above the parking lot. We heard a young one wailing and finally spotted it about ten feet below her in an awkward looking position. It hopped around some, and eventually took wing with some relatively long flights.

Dean Thompson showed up and thought it was the young male (the two chicks are thought to be male and female) we were watching. We saw him take a nice flight over the breakwater and it was Dean's opinion that he'd probably fledged early today or Monday.

At about 7:30 the tiercel showed up with prey, and briefly the four Falcons were in the aerie together. The adults soon left to let the chicks fight over the meal. The tiercel perched, and was scolded by the female (for being late with dinner??). He flew off to the east side...

June 13 - From Roy
I think the second chick was out Wednesday. I was there twice and didn't see her near the aerie as expected. Saw neither bird Thursday in about an hour total - but it was very windy. I got an early start this morning and had both juveniles and the tiercel perched over the parking lot for an hour. They preened and watched but didn't fly for me. The female eventually flew in and they begged a lot, but she had no food. Then I had to leave. This weekend should be good for Falcon watchers.

June 20 - From Steve
Today PG&E biologist Sally Krenn drove me around near the sea bluffs on the Field's Ranch north of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. Several previously scheduled Peregrine surveys (requires special clearance for access) had to be cancelled earlier this season because f the on-and-off again terrorism alerts. At first I was disappointed not to find any sign of Falcon presence at the place where John Edmisten and I found a new Peregrine nesting site on the bluffs last year (with 3 fledglings), but as we were driving back out about 1/2 mile further north there were suddenly two loudly vocalizing fledglings pursuing and begging at the adult Peregrine pair, which quickly flew away from the area. The 2 juveniles continued soaring just south of Point Buchon along the hillside, with a background of coastal scrub and scattered Bishop pines. So, the Field's Ranch Peregrine aerie was productive again this year after all; also, the Diablo Cove pair to the south fledged 3 young this season.