Emigrant Lake, 8/20

[Vince Zauskey]

I was off of the Greensprings Spur Rd parking lot earlier today and walked down the paved road that leads to the southend of Emigrant Lake (very little water now except near the northeast end).  In the smoky distance just before 10AM I spotted a raptor with my binoculars and I knew it wasn't a Red-tailed Hawk.  It landed on a snag at the end of Rosebud Lane.  I walked closer for a better look and the bird was a Peregrine Falcon.  It had a very wide moustachial mark.  Anatum race is my guess.

No waterfowl in the vicinity to hunt but there are smaller birds in the area.  When I walked away around 10:15AM it was still perched.  

P.S.  An immature Sharp-shinned Hawk flew low over the parking lot, perched briefly and went on its way.  A fair amount of raptor activity for such a smokey morning.