“Rosie” finds love Photo by Cleve Nash
“Why is Cleve not out here at the rock?”
“Did you call him?”
“No.”
“He’s been gone for two days, so…. “
12PM: Cleve Nash shows up at the rock.
“Where have you been? Everybody has been worried about you.”
“I told Bob I was going to Santa Barbara on Friday…”
It seems as though I had been so excited about all the action with the chicks and such, I must have had a little bout with C.R.S.
Anyway on his way home, Cleve stopped off at the Shell Beach nest site to check on what he thought was a new mate for “Rosie”* a few weeks ago.
Your place or mine? Photo by Cleve Nash
Upon looking over the cliff to see the two of them, instead, he sees four young falcons ready to fledge. He and fellow photographer, Bob Mancuso are aghast. They hadn’t even seen her breeding.
“Where did these chicks come from? She must have kept him in the closet!”
Surprise ! … 4 Photo by Cleve Nash
The answer to the story is… no one watches this nest site on a regular basis and they have moved the eyrie several times over the years. This Shell Beach nest site is where I saw my first wild peregrine falcon in the fall of 1969.
As of to date, we now have three chicks at Piedras Blancas, three chicks at the north side of Morro Rock, four chicks at Shell Beach. We still have yet to check nest sites at Diablo Canyon, Avila, Pecho Ranch at Montaña de Oro and the south side of Morro Rock.
Any information on the remaining sites is welcome to be submitted to us at Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch. Use our comment box below. Thanks.
Happy trails, Bob
*See photo of “Rosie” on May 6 blog titled “No news is good news…” http://tinyurl.com/lr6s58y
