A major success story!! In the 1960's, Peregrine Falcons were extirpated as NY State breeders. DDT was the culprit. When the chemical was finally banned, a group called the Peregrine Fund worked diligently to re-establish the population. Hacking, along with the species remarkable adaptability has resulted in a population that is on the rise. Syracuse has yet to get a solid breeding pair of Peregrines, but other pairs are breeding in cities such as Rochester, Buffalo and NYC. These Birds use tall buildings as surrogate cliffs and eyries. Still, the Peregrine Falcon is listed as Endangered in NY State.

Just how fortunate can you get? I hopped out of the car to shoot a Red-tailed Hawk. That Raptor wasn't cooperative, and quickly disappeared. As I waited, a Rock Pigeon came flapping slowly by...then dove in a flash! Suddenly out of nowhere, THIS Falcon appeared!!! Thankfully, the camera was at-the-ready. Britt Rd., Town of Ledyard, Cayuga County, NY USA. December-2003. Canon 10D digital SLR and EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6 IS lens.