Peregrine juvenile spotted in Richmond Hill, Ontario

by Adriana Pisano Beaumont
(Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada)

I was making myself a tea, standing at my kitchen window this afternoon, watching the flurry of activity at our bird feeders.

All of a sudden, all the birds scattered and about 3 seconds later, a Peregrine Falcon (juvenile, I think) landed on the roof of one of the big feeders.

I thought it might be a Merlin at first, but the facial markings, 'mustache' and buff coloured throat area were very clear.

He landed with his back facing me and then turned enough that I could see his size and colouration.

He was about the size of a large crow with a well-defined mask.

It is a first for us here... we are on the Oak Ridges Moraine backing onto a protected ravine.

Wow.