A welcome return…

Observation date:  4 December 2016

In the previous five or six years, I have written about “Doris,” a solitary adult female peregrine, that has wintered here in nearby Baywood Park. The last time she was observed was 3 January 2014 by a family from Massachusetts. She stayed through March according to Cleve. I wrote about sending them over to see her. The title was “Massachusetts please reply…”.

Last week, Cleve Nash, our local photographer extraordinaire, stopped by the little coffee shop in Baywood for a cup and who flies in to the old cypress tree, but “Doris.”  These two were old friends. I’m sure she recognized Cleve just as he did her. He has hundreds of photos of her! We don’t know where she has wintered the last two seasons, but we welcome her return.

"Doris"  Photo by Cleve Nash

“Doris”                           Photo by Cleve Nash

As of other news around Morro Rock, bonding continues, but no sign of breeding activities as yet. Once we see courtship flights which we have not seen as of this writing, breeding will soon start.

Happy trails, Bob

Item:  Doris’s  name was derived from the eucalyptus tree that she perched in at the corner of Doris and Mitchell Streets. This tree was her alternate perch about a mile away from the cypress tree at the coffee shop.

About Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch

The Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch is here to inform birders, students and all people who are eager to know about these handsome peregrines. We want you to enjoy and be able to use our on-site powerful spotting scopes. We are available to answer your questions about the pair of falcons that have been observed for many years.
This entry was posted in falcon, Morro Rock, peregrine and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

8 Responses to A welcome return…

  1. Michael Shellard says:

    THANK YOU so much for posting this beautiful picture I hope you don’t mind if I send it to family and friends in the UK where I was born, I now live in San Luis Obispo and a serious photographer and have spent many hours at Morro Bay watching the wonders of nature that are all new to me. again thank you from the bottom of my heart for this beautiful photo.

  2. I am so glad Doris returned. Always good to see old friends. I am sure she was glad to get back to California specially Los Osos . Tell her tht her fans are so happy that she is well. Thanks for the information .

    • Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch says:

      So glad you enjoyed our observations and photo. Yes, please share our website with your friends and family. ~Heather and Bob

    • Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch says:

      You’ve been a long time follower and are glad you’ll hear the latest. Come visit anytime in the afternoons when Bob’s there. We hope the gate will be open often so Bob can drive out to share all this with visitors. ~Heather

  3. Barbara Jean Gard says:

    What about the pair that nest near the power plant off of the Point Buchon Trail? Does Doris arrive in Baywood from there? Barbara Jean

    • Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch says:

      We don’t know. She could be from Alaska for all we know. She’s not banded. She arrives normally in October and leaves around March, always alone, never with a mate. This coincides with birds that come from colder climes or when their food source moves south. ~Bob and Heather

  4. Tante Jude says:

    I was so happy to see Doris around 11;00 this morning, New Year’s Eve. I have missed seeing her on my winter trip to Baywood. Thanks for keeping us informed and the terrific pics. She flew off too quickly for me to get a pic.

    • Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch says:

      So glad to hear you saw “Doris.” We’re preparing for the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival and hope you’ll be able to join us. ~Heather

Leave a Reply to Linda J. WedelCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.