Peregrine Falcons at the University of
Michigan 2008
The birds seemed to be spending a lot of time around the west elevator shaft at the University Hospital. We thought perhaps they would try nesting there, after failing for two years at the bell tower. The University had some repair work done on the tower in April, we thought if the birds were just beginning to nest, they probably would have abandoned the site. I spoke with the repair people, and the peregrines seemed fairly tame and would approach within a few feet. The birds did seem more protective of the SW corner, which is where we had suspected they had tried to nest. The workers looked for eggshell fragments in the gutter and the ledges, and did not find any, so we have no proof that the female laid any eggs in previous years. The birds spent quite a bit of time at the hospital early in the season, but again, there was no indication that they actually nested there. Perhaps they were disturbed by the tower repair work. At any rate, they were not successful at nesting in 2008.
- 2008 food remains found:
- 11 March- Woodcock body (note this is before any birder reported woodcock!)
- 17 March- 2 pellets, duck scapular feathers
- 19 March- 2 Killdeer heads
- 31 March- Killdeer head, Woodcock head, Meadowlark head
- 1 April- 2 pellets, Woodcock leg, Meadowlark leg, Pigeon feathers
- 2 April- Killdeer wing, Woodcock wing, Meadowlark feathers, Bufflehead body
- 3 April- Mourning Dove leg
- 6 April- Woodcock wing
- 7 April- whole Woodcock (found at Washington & Thayer, 1/2 block from the tower)
- 3 June- male Nighthawk wings
- 12 July- 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo heads & 2 feet, Woodcock foot
- 22 July- Va Rail head
- 24 July- cuckoo feathers, unidentified passerine bill
- 25 July- Sora Rail head & foot, shorebird foot, cuckoo foot
- 28 July- Meadowlark bill
- 31 July- Least Bittern wing
- 1 Aug- pigeon feathers
- 4 Aug- cuckoo feather, rail foot, pellet
- 9 Aug- 3 rail legs, 1 Peregrine feather
- 15 Sept- YB Cuckoo head
- 18 Sept- Rose-breasted Grosbeak head
- 1 Oct- Imm Sapsucker head
- 3 Oct- 2 ad Sapsucker heads & 1 wing, bobolink head, Mourning Dove wing
- 6 Oct- male Flicker head
- 8 Oct- 2 rail feet
- 9 Oct- Mourning Dove wing
- 10 Oct- Pied-billed Grebe head, legs, Downy WP wing, flicker foot, Sora Rail head, Mourning Dove head
- 13 Oct- Yellow Rail (old, headless skin)
- 15 Oct- Killdeer
- 17 Oct- Snipe
- 20 Oct- pigeon head
- 24 Oct- Mourning Dove wing
- 27 Oct- Woodcock
- 19 Nov- Woodcock wing & foot
- 26 Nov- pigeon wings
- 12 Dec- Woodcock head (old)
- 18 Dec- Mourning Dove
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Last updated 24 February 2009