The Story of the Severn River Peregrine Falcons
Thursday, June 14th, 2007: The Discovery
My name is Dan Haas. I am a musician, a singer and an avid birder. This is a story about a trio of Peregrine Falcons and the musician who spent a lot of time watching them.
For the second day in a row, I was performing music on board a sizeable sleek charter yacht known as the Catherine Marie. We were sailing up the Severn River in scenic Annapolis, Maryland, also known as the heart of the Chesapeake Bay. As yet, nothing was out of the ordinary. Suddenly out of the gray-blue sky, I noticed this powerful bird zoom overhead. It was a PEREGRINE FALCON. Cruising towards Round Bay, I knew I would get one more chance to observe this sleek raptor on our return trip to Annapolis. As we got ready to pass under the span for a second time, my drummer Mickey Eckman yelled, “Dan, over there!” To our surprise, there were now TWO PEREGRINE FALCONS.
The band and I finished the boat gig. Filled with excitement after finding these rare birds, I jumped in my Volvo and rushed over to my friends Brian and Sarah Cahallan’s home. Brian and Sarah's home sits on a bluff overlooking the bridge. They have full views of the West side of the Sever River bridge where I first spotted the falcons and a beach below that offers an even wider view of the span. I would spend the next several days at the Cahallan’s property observing these impressive raptors.
That evening, after the sun set, I returned home to email all of my birding cyber friends on a local email listserv, MDOSPREY.org. I thought the certainly someone on the 'Osprey' could, and would, alert the experts about the news of the falcon’s presence.
Sunday, June 17th, 2007: Lunch and the State Highway Administration
If I may tell you about the specials? For Father's Day, the male peregrine, who I've decided to nickname 'Maestro', had caught and then feasted on a Mourning Dove. The pair were again perched under the bridge for most of the day. They seemed to be enjoying the boat traffic below. What's Mom's nickname, you ask? Madrigal. Since I was playing music the day I first noticed them, I thought that both falcons deserved musical names. Incidentally, Maestro and Madrigal are the same names that Mom gave my two now-since-passed Golden Retrievers.
More important, I was beginning to wonder what the impact of the State Highway Administration’s loud bridge painting might be on the falcon’s potential nesting. The falcons did not appear to mind the construction. However, the workers had yet to reach the highest part of the bridge where the falcons were spending most of their time. Would this deter them from nesting? Had they already nested? Were there eggs? Maybe some chicks? Had they fledged?
There was much I didn't know about these birds and their nesting habits.
Friday, June 22nd, 2007: The Nest Discovered and The Chick Banded & Safe (The Rescue Part I)
This morning, I received an email from Craig. Craig, aside from being a really nice guy, is the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Biologist for the Chesapeake Bay Field Office. If you've ever heard or read a story about a raptor, or other such endangered animal, that probably was Craig delivering the details. Here is an example. Here is another. Oh, why not... here is one more. Craig knows falcons. And, as you'll soon read, that is a very good thing.
He wrote, “Dan, I have great news. The pair did attempt nesting this year at the center span. Residual sand used as abrasives during the winter snow period provided enough substrate for them to nest on. I located one area that appeared to be the area used more extensively by the pair however, not much prey remains were found. The adult male is not banded and I was too busy to try focusing on the female. Incredibly, after checking the more obvious pier caps we could not find any young. That is because early this morning (I believe) a young female fledged and by pure chance the bird landed on the pier footer near the floating barge. Yes, the pair was successful this year and produced one chick! I banded the chick and after a lot of fan fare and talking with the landowner. I took the bird back up to the center span and placed her on a safe part of the catwalk near the nesting area. The boat crew was below, keeping an eye on her should she fledge again.
Thanks again Dan.
-Craig.”
And now there were three!
Saturday, June 23rd, 2007: Almost Ready For Her Second Flight
Not only is it nesting season, it's wedding season. This Saturday, June the 23rd, I had to perform two gigs. Worried that I might miss her second flight, I decided to get up extra early to watch the falcons. I arrived, with coffee in hand, to my viewing spot around 6:20 AM and watched Maestro and Madrigal feeding their chick. The young chick, know dubbed Charlotte, was still on the catwalk under the bridge where Craig had placed her on Friday. She was fed again at 7:30 and yet again at 8:30. By 9:20, it was getting late and I seriously had get to my first gig. With not a sip of joe in my mug, I was forced to leave my monitoring station on Brian and Sarah's bluff. I thought for sure that the chick would try to fly again (for the second time) and that I’d miss the event.
Saturday's gigs went well. It was now evening and I wanted to make certain that all was well with the falcons. I put all of my music equipment away, grabbed my scope and binoculars and raced back to my perch by the bridge just before sunset. I found the chick resting on the catwalk, acting more like she wanted to fly, but still comfortably safe on the metal grate under the bridge. I slept soundly that night, knowing that all was well with the falcons.
Sunday, June 24th, 2007: Swimming With A Peregrine (The Rescue Part II)
It was a day I shall never forget. On this particular Sunday morning, I slept in a bit later than normal. I didn’t arrive to my bridge viewing spot until 8:50 AM. My timing was perfect. I found the young peregrine with my scope on the OUTSIDE of the bridge's girder pacing and leaping from one pier to the other. She must have hopped up at least three feet to get on to that ledge. In order to acquire some breakfast, she was making the trip back and forth on that girder to ask each of her parents for food. Madrigal was on one side, Maestro was on the other, each about 50-75 feet away from the other. The poor chick was not having any luck obtaining a meal. Mom and Dad were offering only tough love, encouragement and some flight coaching this morning. It was obvious that the parents really wanted this chick to fly.
And at 9:20 AM this morning, FLY she did!... all the way to the other side, landing on the 4th pier out from the Arnold (North), MD side on the bridge's concrete base. With powerboats and jet skis whizzing by, I knew this chick was in a precarious spot.
After a few worried minutes of watching the Sunday boat traffic, I decided to call my nearby friend and boat owner Matt Marcy in hopes of getting a closer look. Matt lives on Weems Creek and, thankfully, has a fast boat. We soon arrived at the foot of the bridge where the chick was last seen only some 20 minutes prior. It was now about 9:40 AM and we were having no luck finding this chick anywhere. Mom and Dad were quietly perched in their regular spots. Unlike most blue meanies, as Peregrines have come to be known, these parents weren't sounding any alarms as to our presence. We did a few more circles in the boat and checked the area again.
On a whim, we decided to take a look over by the construction barge. It was there where I found, floating in the water, a mass of wet feathers lying motionless. Matt stopped the boat. I immediately dove into the river with a ski and rescued the bird from certain death. Once I had the falcon on Matt's boat, I got on the phone and called Craig. It is my guess that the chick thought the long yellow oil containment floats that circled the construction barge might be a safe place to land. So when she did land on them, she sunk and had no way to get out of the water.
We raced home in the boat with the wet chick now safely wrapped in my orange jacket. She was gurgling and coming back to life in my arms. As the boat reached Matt’s house, I was relieved to finally be talking on the phone to Craig from USFWS, who I later found out was a Master Falconer. Craig was immediately advising me as to how I could help this now gurguling falcon in my lap.
I needed to get the chick to the other side of the bridge. If I put her on the big rocks that line the shore on the other side of the bridge, her parents would be able to find her and help her. Matt drove, my Volvo this time, from his home to the location on the Arnold side of the river. I jumped out of the car and placed the wet falcon chick gently on to the grassy ground near the rocks. There, there was a lot of room for her to dry off, preen and most importantly, be seen by the parents.
I should tell you that during our car ride, we had to cross over the very bridge where she was hatched. As soon as we got onto the bridge, the chick managed to get an eye out from under my jacket that was covering her head. Seeing us, she let out one of the loudest screams I have ever heard… and I play rock n' roll. At the same time, she was digging her talon into my pinky finger. I'm sure the parents, who were perched below were scratching their heads wondering how their chick got into a Volvo on the bridge? I now know why master falconers wear those leather gloves. As soon as Matt could get the jacket back over her head, she let up on her grip and I repositioned my hands on her legs.
Back to the story: After the chick was fairly dry, she began to hop away from us, down the rocky shoreline towards a gazebo on the point. Craig, thankfully by this time, had arrived in person to our location. I gave him the entire story and filled him in on every detail. An hour or so from the time the chick was placed on solid ground, she had hopped nearly to the end of the jetty.
Craig decided to get a closer look. As he approached behind her, hidden from view, the chick decided to fly again. This time, she flew back toward us, and land, to the top of a house on the property. Mom saw everything and simultaneously flew over our heads with the chick. The mother peregrine, which was screaming and yelling, flew into the trees behind the house. She was alerting the chick to her presence and what's more, the chick’s delicious Blue Jay meal currently clutched in Mom’s talons.
After several minutes, the youngster got up the nerve and the strength to fly, this time landing safely under the base of the bridge on solid ground. At this point both Mom and Dad were very present, which was an excellent sign. Imagine if you will a highway overpass. You know the giant granite boulders that angle up to the roadway bridge above? Well, the chick was at the top where the road meets the rocks.
Craig and I decided to leave the falcons alone for now. The chick was now relatively safe and being fed by her parents. As an added bonus, Craig and I got to read Mother Falcon's talon bands up close. Madrigal wore two bands that read a sideways "A" over a "#2"! Craig would now be able to learn and tell us a little more about the mother peregrine. As it turns out, she fledged four years ago from New York. She too, was born on a bridge over troubled water. Her bridge, the Tappan Zee, is about three miles long and crossed the mighty Hudson River just North of New York City.
Maestro remains a mystery, as he is unbanded. But, oh, can he hunt. Craig explained that the falcons have a fresh stash of prey that the male is usually in charge of keeping well stocked. Five minutes after Mom had brought the chick a Blue Jay, she arrived with yet another fresh Jay.
While Madrigal was waiting to deliver a second meal to her chick, we observed a bold Ruby Throated Hummingbird flying around Madrigal's head. This little hovering bird was tormenting the much larger falcon.
By 6 PM, I was back at the beach for a quick falcon check-up. I didn’t feel comfortable knowing that the chick was on land under the bridge, accessible to predators such as raccoons, fox, dogs, cats, cars, owls and hawks. When I arrived, it took me a while to find the little one. But eventually I did. She popped her head up from about the same place where we last saw her safely land. She must have been asleep after all those feedings. I turned and noticed that my Golden Retriever puppy, Oiseau, had jumped out of my Volvo and was now splashing about in the river. Oiseau had been very patient with all of my falcon watching, so I decided a game of catch was in order. I threw a stick out into the water for Oiseau to fetch. As I enjoyed my pup swimming back towards shore with such a large tree limb in his mouth, I notice that the chick was BACK on the base of the fourth cement pier out under the bridge for the second time today.
After a few minutes, she got up the nerve to fly again. This little falcon flew the length of the bridge, turned and then started to head back toward the Arnold side. She turned yet again, about one pier from the center of the bridge and headed to the South side. The chick was flying up towards the metal girders on the 7th span from the Annapolis side. She was attempting to get underneath the bridge. As she ascended, the chick hit the pillar and started to freefall. Just as I thought to myself 'time to fire up the boat again’, she recovered. Wings flapping furiously, she regained her momentum and lift. Mom and Dad were swooping around her, under her, above her, beside her the entire time. They were showing her how to fly and where to go. She started to gain altitude and finally, got herself safely under the highest part of bridge. To be safe from predators, alive, and able to fly another day... that's success! That little flight took place in about the span of 25 seconds.
Today, I, along with Master Falconer Craig from USFWS, Allison Albert and Fred Kelly from the Severn River Keeper, Doug Forsell from USFWS, Matt Marcy, Kathy Woods, Joan Whiteley, the Whitely Family and Uncle Frank, saved a Peregrine Falcon's life. I will never forget it.
Monday, June 25th, 2007: A Slow Day At The Bridge
I assumed that the activity level of the Peregrines would be a bit less than yesterday. I went to the bluff and the beach at on the Annapolis side from 8:30 to 9:30 AM. There was no sign of the three falcons. I returned for observation at 12:30 PM. Yes again, there was no sign of the falcons. Finally at 12:44 PM, I saw Madrigal perched on the West side, closer to Annapolis, on a metal wire. She was intensely looking up and into the underside of the bridge. Was it their chick perched up amongst the girders? I hoped so.
Soon Maestro appeared, about two piers closer to where I was standing. Determined, Madrigal was still staring intensely into the bridge’s belly. Dad was looking up there too. But he was also noticing all of the many other things occurring around them. Things like...well... things like me.
Seconds later, Maestro came flying directly towards me with falcon speed and determination. He circled the gazebo where I was observing, causing the birds around me to make a fair bit of commotion. He landed on a large, dead tree at the very top of the property. Maestro, it appeared, had stopped there in order to check out both the local surroundings and me. This would have been a much easier task had this mockingbird not been harassing him so much. After getting dive-bombed several times, Maestro decided to leave the tree and the Northern Mockingbird’s rude welcome. He flew over me and back towards me and continued to examine the under side of the bridge.
Moments later, Maestro flew again towards me. Within in five minutes, he returned with a Mourning Dove clutched in his talons. Their ability to collect prey is hard to fathom.
I kept waiting (and hoping) to see the Peregrine chick drop out from under the bridge and take to the skies. I wanted to see her continue on her improvements from yesterday. The young lady made no appearances all day and all evening.
I also noticed that the bridge work had moved over an entire pier closer to the middle of the river and a short distance away from where the chick was last seen. This didn't sudden progress didn't sit too well with me or the birds. Madrigal was making a fuss earlier in the day at one of the workers. She was buzzing all around him as he relaxed on the side of the bridge.
Tuesday, June 26th, 2007: The End of Peregrine Watching at the Bridge?
At 9:45 AM, I saw Madrigal perched on the top edge of the 7th pier on the Annapolis side. She flew once for a quick bit and came back to the same spot. At 9:50, she flew again, this time not returning. Later that evening, Matt and I took the boat back on the river for a quick inspection. As soon as we arrived, we saw Maestro on the Arnold side of the bridge, perched on a wire between the 4th and 5th pier. He flew off as we approached.
I've been back numerous times since then to check on them. However, Tuesday proved to be my last sighting of the Severn River peregrine falcons. I am optimistic about their current situation and look forward to their return next year.
Wednesday, July 4th, 2007: Alive, Safe And Well
My fiancee Emery and I took out our brand new kayaks for their maiden voyage on the Severn River today. After a brief paddle through Weems Creek, we headed straight for the bridge.
As soon as we arrived, we saw Madrigal, the Mother Peregrine falcon, perched at her regular spot. Today marks the first time I'd seen her in eight days. Then, to our surprise, we saw the little one, who has been nicknamed Charlotte. At first I mistook the bird for Maestro, the father falcon. But when the little one took off in an attempt to approach Mom, I knew it was the new chick. Charlotte was screaming at her folks, in what appeared to be a determined request for a meal. The chick then flew directly over our kayaks as if to say, "Hello Dan & Em. Thank you for teaching me not to swim. Flight really is more my thing."
I could not be any happier. To finally know that the not-so-little chick has learned to fly is comforting. She still needs a little more work. Thankfully, while Emery and I were floating beneath them on the river, it was obvious that both parents were coaching her through the basics of flight. Every time the chick took off, both adults followed her in the air, flying under her, beside her and all around her. They were showing her the way. It was better than fireworks. Charlotte, as cute as she is, still needs a lesson or two on how to land on a wire or perch. But aside from that, she is alive, well and enjoying her 4th of July.
So, that for me is a satisfying conclusion to this tale. Maybe one day Charlotte will move to a skyscraper in North Carolina? Or perhaps she will decide to come back to the area and raise a family of her own? Lucky for everyone, we do have another large bridge to spare. Until then, please enjoy a song I wrote called "Charlotte," that will be on my next CD.
Thank you for taking the time to read this little story of the Severn River Peregrine Falcons!
-Dan Haas
View photographs of the PEREGRINE FALCONS HEREvisit danhaas.com
