July 18, 2011
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Falcon Down Picked Me Up
got 50 miles in today. it was pretty warm…but! the real news is this! i ran across a young falcon on the trail, squawking away…just a few days shy of flight (most flight feathers in, just a hint of down left – in the cutest of places). maybe he (or she) fell out of the nest. i was on the trike, low to the ground, and as soon as i stopped he hopped over and jumped right up onto my lap. thought my fingers were food…kept snapping at them. kept eyeing my eyeballs, too (mmm…tasty eyeballs). totally fearless. it was beautiful. actually more than that, it was magical. there were two other folks there – they called the raptor center and sent them a picture…it was identified as a merlin falcon! they advised us to get him off the trail (duh) and that his parents would more than likely hear his EEEPs and get him back into line. one can only hope…
cuz i think we were bonding pretty quickly.
the other folks at the scene had a camera and sent me a few shots of the little hotshot. i thought they had one of him in my lap, but if so they haven’t sent it yet. if they do you can bet i’ll post it!
this guy was totally not taking any crap
“parents. now. WHAT IS THE HOLD UP PEOPLE”
i hope he makes it…go little one!
Comments (39)
!!!!!!! oh SO sweet!! i think i would definitely take this as some good sign : )
in your lap, omgoodness!! i’m glad you went for that ride today. i feel sure he’s bound to make it. he just needs a little love and a bit more nurturing from his parents. LOVE THIS!!
<3<3<3
do you think any winds or rain (if you’ve had any up there) maybe knocked him out of his nest, or at least off the branch he was probably perched on, ready to test flight?
@be_the_rain - yay lea! i know! he just hopped right up and acted like he owned the joint! yeah, it’s pretty hard to diss this one, in terms of signs…
@be_the_rain - good guess. that’s what the raptor center thought too; we had a good storm blow through the other night. he *can* already fly…but just can’t quite maintain or increase altitude yet.
@complicatedlight - well, if he *can* fly, that’s the important thing. that little fella is something else. i love his “no fear” attitude! precious little raptor. this makes my whole night and tomorrow!! you done good to let him nibble, but i’m glad he left your eyeballs alone, : )
dude u have a trike? the one u like push out with your feet and lean??
Son of a bitch bird! I love it. Wild things are to be loved, no doubt; even if they peck your eyes out.
Oh my, that is just completely awesome
That is pretty darn amazing!!! How cool was that?!!?
Lots of birds of prey in my area. A great sign of small life all around in the woods and meadows.
wild.
That is beyond awesome. I love birds of prey!
mmmm… tasty eyeballs… HAHAHA.
Even as a little one, he’s so tough and amazing. I’m envious you got so close, Phil. Very cool.x.g.
@underused - let’s take it as a good sign for us all…
Aw man! That is so cool. This is probably the first and last time I will write “aw” on a dude’s blog.
that’s pretty cool. Were you biking in MN?
@godfatherofgreenbay - yepyep
mendota trail…along the river between st. paul and MSP.
and the trails were open?
@godfatherofgreenbay - yes. i don’t think they’re closing any that i know of. i suppose it’d be kinda hard to enforce, heh. btw…there’s no fee to use MN trails, so collection isn’t an issue.
ok I was just curious since they closed so much up there including the rest areas along the highways. and they couldn’t sell lottery tickets. What is our nation coming to when we can’t purchase lottery tickets?
That is the cutest thing I have seen in a long time! I hope he finds his falcon parents.
I definitely want to see a photo of him in your lap. Hahah. ADORABLE.
@thisiswhereItellyoueverything - i know! i asked if they had one, and i was pretty sure they did, would they send it. nothing. maybe it sucked. :
Cute falcon WIN
soooooo ca-yoooot! i actually found a little bird in our yard by our front yard when i returned one day. he didnt fly away when me or my sister approached me.
when i first saw that last pic i thought the book-sack was someone’s ass and that the baby bird of prey was gonna bite them on the ass and they’d get mad and cuss and call it a little son of a bitch
@At_Sixes_And_Sevens - if it was someone’s ass, he most definitely would have. he hopped up on my shoulder, too. that’s when i really started to worry; he couldn’t break skin on my fingers, but…a tasty, tender earlobe? DOWN BOY.
Sweet little thing. I hope it survives and thrives
what a badass little bugger
if i can make it, he can.
D’Awwwwww….
Magical. At, Adelong Falls, Last summer my friends and I came across an Echidna. It was wonderful to see this Australian Creature in it’s natural habitat. It proves that they really DO exist.
Sweet! I see so many cool things on my rides, too. Rabbits…coyotes! All kinds of birds. I love it. But I’ve never had one jump in my lap.
how did i miss this when you posted it? dayamn. that. is. awesome. i bet you made a friend for life, and s/he’ll remember you when you ride by in the summers to come.
@TheBillion - that’d be great! and it just might be true. those falcons ain’t dumb. fearless, but not dumb.
AWWWWWWWWWW
Go little Falcon.
I want a little pet hawk! Super cute.
@naturalaruba - better still A FALCON, Mary. i was sorely tempted to take the guy home with me. he was bonding like super glue. but…idk. the dudes at the raptor center said don’t do that, and hell, i’d end up assuming responsibility for the little guy and then if he kicked i’d never forgive myself for intervening.
but i sure was tempted.
That’s so precious, I got a huge buzzard about a year ago? It was so big it blocked the entire street standing there staring at me refusing to budge even after I honked the horn. We were forced to drive completely around the block to get into our drive. He hung around for several days in the street, yard and top of the house and then he left, I haven’t seen him since.