Starting with a female who lost her mate
Fortunately, she has found a new friend
With whom she can copulate.
And if everything goes according to plan
They won't be alone anymore
They'll have no conflicts
And raise a few chicks
For the first time in Alabama since 1954!
Here's the full story from Greg Harber (edited for space): The story behind these falcons is that the female of this pair has been in Birmingham for several years now with her mate, who was found dead last May. When her mate died, we wondered what might become of her. I had read that the birds often remain faithful to their nest site should anything happen to the mate, so I had hopes she
would stay and attract another mate. I observed her multiple times last summer and up until late fall, and then I didn't see her again until about three weeks ago. A day or two later I caught a passing glimpse of what I suspected was another falcon, but it wasn't until I snapped these first three photos that I could say with certainty that it was indeed another Peregrine Falcon I had been seeing. A friend who lives in North Alabama used to monitor peregrine nests on the west coast and she confirmed, based on the plumage characteristics, that the male is a bird that was hatched last year.
Of keen interest to me and the other who have been following these birds is the fact that peregrines have not successfully nested in Alabama since 1954 (Paint Rock, in north Alabama). Thus, the hope that this will be the year!
(Thanks to very special guest photographer, Greg Harber! To see more of Greg's photos, visit his art shop at https://www.calvinwildphotography.com/?page_id=734)
Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Peregrine_Falcon/id
Photo © 2022 Greg Harber and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson
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