Our new Pets....

Okay so the title is a bit of a tease.... To clarify, we don't have any new pets at our house, (Hilda is very,VERY allergic and sensitive!!!!)... We get to enjoy them 24/7 (if we want to), and we don’t have to clean up after them or feed them or anything!!! In short they are the PERFECT PETS (for this household at least).... So wanna meet them???

Here they are... our babies.... Peregrine falcon cam It’s actually quite funny.... the kids crowd around the computers, we have the falcon cam running on at least ONE computer every hour... and we all watch mesmerized... Even the boy!!! :) We love these little tykes, AND their parents! The services provided by the state, with the cameras and all the info, not to mention all the hours of service that goes on in regards to these beautiful creatures, is quite amazing!! To be able to see these wild animals up close and personal... and the fact that they’re thriving in such an urban community is awesome.... A TRUE DELIGHT!!!! :)

For more see also this blog by Liz Schubert...

More Peregrine falcon facts

• Scientific name: Falco peregrinus (In Latin, peregrinus means wandering.)
• Distribution: Cosmopolitan, but mainly in arctic to temperate regions
• Status: Formerly listed by the U.S. government as endangered, but recently delisted
• Life span: 10 to 12 years; 20 years in captivity
• Length: 10 to 20 inches (females are larger than the males)
• Wingspan: 36 to 45 inches (females are larger than the males)
• Weight: 1 pound 4 ounces to 2 pounds 12 ounces
• Plumage: In most plumages, the dark head appears hooded; slate grey-backed (dark brown-backed as juvenile) with cream-colored underparts, thick dark "mustache" (malar) mark below eye
• Eyesight: Up to eight times better than human vision
• Song: In protest, a loud, rapidly-repeated "kak, kak, kak"
• Flight speed: Clocked at 175 to 200 mph in vertical stoop or when diving from great heights upon prey
• Appearance in flight: Active flight is with shallow, but stiff and powerful wingbeats; soaring is on flat wings and a widely fanned tail; gliding is with wings level or with writs below the body and the wingtips up
• Abundance and seasonal status: Nests in Utah; occasionally seen during fall migration and sometimes is a winter resident
• Nesting habits: Tall, sheer cliff faces, often within 14 miles of water; occasionally on bridges, buildings and towers
• Number of eggs in clutch: Typically three to four
• Wintering habits: Southern North America, Central America and South America
• Food: Almost exclusively birds, nearly always caught in mid-flight; fledglings often chase after and catch flying insects, such as dragonflies
• Factors responsible for decline: Pesticides, habitat loss, pollution, poisoning and shooting
• Factors responsible for recovery: The ban in the use of the pesticide DDT in 1972 is believed to have contributed significantly to the recovery; in recent years, the outlook for the birds improved enough that they have been delisted from the federal endangered species list.