Falcon Attack

This weekend Theresa and I went up to my daughter's cottage to help with a few chores and to relax a little. Little did we know that a Peregrine falcon made a nest about fifty feet from the front door of the cottage. This falcon was beautiful in flight and had a shrill whistle to show it's disapproval of us being in it's territory.

I was familiar with falcons of this type as there were a pair on Pelly Mountain in Nunavut when I lived there. Every time I approached the nesting area they would dive on us and tell us to leave them to their own territory. Little did I expect this act to be repeated in Ontario.

I was standing on the deck of the cottage with three other people when it , without warning and at high speed swooped down and with talons at the ready came within inches of my face. So close in fact that the wing feathers hit my face and forehead. It was such a shock I was completely confused. What I saw at the last moment was a open beak, a slick aerodynamic body with yellow talons inches from my face. We were all shocked but during the weekend over twelve swoops or attacks took place.

Every time we walked in the open space we carried a broom or some object over our heads. We saw the object of their worry as a young falcon was leaving the nest and they were contesting their territory. Let us say we loved the weekend and the area but Mr falcon ruled the roost. We were the intruders and all they wwere doing was natural and expected.