The beginning of Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch
Since 1969, Bob Isenberg has been observing peregrines along the Central Coast of California. As of January 2012, he has spent over 17,700 hours. In the past four years, five to six hours were spent in observation daily. Previously, time was spent on late afternoons and weekends.
While speaking with visitors, local and from around the world, he has collected names for these falcons in about 70 languages.
During the 1950s, 60s and 70s, DDT and related organochlorine pesticides went up the food chain ending up in the fat of the falcons. When eggs were laid, the shells became too thin to survive incubation due to the lower amount of calcium found in the eggshells. The populations of these raptors plummeted in the 1960s. DDT has been banned in the United States since the 1970s and peregrine populations have recovered with the help of protection of nesting places and peregrines released into the wild. They are now found nesting in urban areas on skyscrapers, window ledges and have found pigeons and other urban birds to be good food sources.
thank you very much for visiting my blog and for the follow, I look forward to your new posts as well..
Ruth & Eugene visiting California we accidently fell in love with Morro bay , walking to the rock my eye fell on a tripod /telescope ,a very good looking guy ,I said are their any good birds about ,Bob pointed to the tele and said take a look for yourself , I look down the scop and boy a pair of black pearls looking at me a (peregrine) ,Bob is a treasure for conservative , A brilliant place for bird watching & whales,California otters,plenty to see ,this north manchester birdwatcher spent four hour in the company of good minded people
We are glad you came to visit Morro Bay and Morro Rock. You’re right about Bob being a fine conservationist. It starts with the love of a peregrine and spreads into the breadth of the whole ecosystem. What the peregrine eats depends on the availability of their prey, over 200 species of birds. The health and preservation of Morro Bay linking to creeks and the Pacific Ocean making this possible for our peregrines is vastly important. ~Heather
Ruth,
When I saw your name come up on the computer, I remembered what a great time Gordon and I had when you were here. Did you get to show off your hat to the girls?
Happy trails, Bob
P.S. Heather is my better half.
Bob, Is the 2017 breeding north side female still the same banded female – identified at Morro Rock in 2015 – from Moss Landing?
Yes, it is the same female from Moss Landing, R/23. We’ve seen the band on her leg, but cannot read it unless we take another photo. Thanks for asking. Heather and Bob
Here’s a video that provides an education on peregrines: https://www.pbs.org/video/worlds-fastest-animal-8w5tdp/
I miss seeing Bob at his old spot near Morro Rock on my Sunday morning bike rides. Too bad it’s been closed to car traffic.