Falcon Fascination Update
Clara soars over San Jose. Credit: Evet Loewen.The remarkable Peregrine Falcons of the Bay Area are making news again. Last year, we followed Jose and Clara, a mating pair that settled directly on San Jose City Hall. Thanks to the efforts of the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, a webcam was set up to follow the family's development. Bay Area viewers watched online as all three of their chicks, Hiko, Spirit and Esperanza, fledged last June. Since then, two of them have been spotted in the Emeryville area.
This year, Clara is back in the City Hall nest box, but early rumors proved true: she had found a new companion. The tiercel (male falcon) was dubbed "Carlos" and it was soon discovered that the bird was likely hacked (released) at Long Marine Lab in Santa Cruz. The pair is now incubating 4 eggs and their fans are hoping the eggs will hatch by the end of April.
Just like last year, you can watch the family drama unfold on the live San Jose webcam or take a look at some of the highlights so far. Both fans and biologists have an online discussion group that tracks their every move.
To catch up on last year's events, watch QUEST's Falcon Fascination online, and find additional links and resources.
Lauren Sommer is an Associate Media Producer for QUEST.
1 Comment
I saw three falcons in Pinole three weeks ago.
Mommy, daddy and baby. Could they be related to the ones in San Jose?