Parking Ramp Surprise

The other day, as I was driving through the parking ramp to park for my day at work, I spotted this . . . 

That's a very bad photo of a peregrine falcon.  
(Eating breakfast.)
(On the top level of my parking ramp.)

Here in Kalamazoo, it's not unusual to spot peregrine falcons.  We have peregrine falcons that live and nest in the tallest of our buildings downtown.  Last spring, there was a "falcon cam" pointed on their nest and you could watch them hatch online.  Tom can actually watch the falcons out his window at work.  One of my friends, who works in the building where they nest, sees them pick pigeons off the window ledges of the building fairly regularly.  Although I think I've seen them flying, I've never encountered one of them close up.

Until last Thursday.

It was the feathers that first drew my attention as I drove through the ramp.  There were LOTS of feathers flying everywhere, and a whole pile of them in the corner of the ramp.

Then I noticed the bird.  

Carefully guarding what was (probably) a pigeon.
(Breakfast.)

I stopped the car and took some pictures through the closed window with my phone.  Not so great.  But kind of cool all the same!

Completely unexpected!  A parking ranp surprise! 

Comments

[Bonny]

Your falcon is an interesting surprise! I'm too often concerned about finding my way into or out of parking garages, so I'm afraid I might have missed it. Thanks for the reminder to keep my eyes open and look!

[margene]

That is about the coolest thing EVER! I watch our falcon cam non-stop during nesting season. During the winter months they're rarely spotted downtown. You must have come upon his favorite feeding spot.

[Mary]

That is cool! and I'm really impressed you noticed it - and knew what it was ;-)

[Marilyn]

Very nice! It so nice to see they are making a comeback. I think they were on the endangered list... So cool that it let you snap it's picture. :)

[Patty]

Yikes...the circle of life! Peregrine falcon is very cool though!

[Carole]

I think I've only ever seen Peregrine falcons at bird exhibits. Hawks, though, we have a-plenty, particularly ospreys.

[Vicki]

Wow! I'd have kept the window closed, too!! ;)

[claudia]

It is the completely unexpected that incites the most extreme reactions. Wow! Look at that!

[Jo]

Even birds you're used to seeing take on a new dimension in an unexpected setting!

[Lori on Little Traverse Bay]

That is very cool! We have a lot of pigeons here that like to camp out on the library roof. You could send their offspring up this way!