Birders trying to add the Gyfalcon to their winter lists have been in a cat & mouse game with the bird. When the birders are in postion the bird either does not show or has already been there & gone. Today all came together to produce a spectacular day with not only the Gyr but an adult Bald Eagle as well. Ed Mah- Lim on his second attempt to see the bird was already on site having no luck on Sat. Fred Whiley arrived for his 4th attempt. At 10:50 AM an adult Bald Eagle flew in from the NW flushing the pigeons & the many Mallards feeding at the Terminal. It flew back west for a few minutes before once again returning. Both birders missed the actual catch but were able to observe the eagle rise up from just east of the bldg. with a Mallard in its talons. The eagle was last seen flying south from the Terminal. At 12:00 the much sought after Gyrfalcon showed up. With the 25-30km/h winds today the pigeons spent alot of time flying above & west of the bldg. (playing in the wind). This makes it difficult to tell when the raptors are in the area & also makes it hard for them to approach undetected. This is the first time I have observed a Bald Eagle at this location in the winter & never heard of one successfully hunting ducks there. I was able to see both these birds from the comfort of my living room so it was a great day overall. Many thanks to Fred Whiley for the report from the south side of the Terminal. On Sat. the Gyr showed up at 10:00 but did not stay long. On Thurs. it showed at 12:00 & was seen the last time at 3:30 PM flying out to the wnw with a bulging crop indicating it had just eaten a full meal Wonderful birding right in the middle of town. What a treat!
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