Inner City Encounter With Nature

June 30, 2009

Nightfall Norfolk River Front

Ever have one of those surprising encounters with nature that just makes you stop with awe? I had one the other evening that caught me by surprise and although it only lasted a moment it made a lasting impression on me.
I’m on the road this week for training in Norfolk Virginia a very beautiful city. I was walking through the financial district headed towards the waterfront. Getting close to sunset so the area was pretty quiet compared to other parts of the city. Not really expecting to see much wildlife except for maybe a pigeon or two. To witness a peregrine falcon snatching a pigeon was a pretty cool sight. Many cities with skyscrapers have become home peregrines as well as other birds of prey. Of course I didn’t have my camera in my hand but I’m not sure I could have caught the shot because it was so quick.
A search of the net and I found a little bit of information on the project to restore peregrine falcons. Looks like Virginia has had some success with this program.

CCB biologists have worked in partnership with the state of Virginia, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and various other partners since the late 1970s to restore and manage peregrine falcons in Virginia. We monitored 21 breeding pairs during the 2008 breeding season.
This year the entire breeding population nested on artificial structures including wooden peregrine towers (12), bridges (5), a fishing shack (1), a ship (1), a power plant stack (1), and a high-rise building (1). The single territory on a natural cliff face in Shenandoah National Park was not active this year. Twenty pairs made breeding attempts and produced 76 eggs and 47 young that survived to banding age. There was a high depredation rate this year with four broods lost on the towers to raccoons and Great-horned Owls.

While I expect to catch unique encounters with nature when I’m in the turkey blind or the deer stand this serves as a great reminder that nature is all around us we just need to take the time to see it.
With no photos of the peregrine falcon I’ve included some night photos I’ve taken along the river front here in Norfolk. A beautiful city especially in the early evening and at night fall.