lockbreeze926
Well-known member
Just recalled this one from a good few years ago - 1999, in Boston.
60 floors up the John Hancock Tower, on the observation deck, walking round and admiring great city views, when something appeared outside the glass - a Peregrine, easily mastering the updrafts that were clearly quite strong at that height, was gliding around the building at (human) head-height, no more than ten feet away through the window. It appeared to look at the observing humans at close range, but I guess was actually seeing its own reflection.
After a short sojourn at height, moving to the opposite side of the building at one point, it eventually peeled away in a rapid arc, down in the direction of the river towards Cambridge. I reported the siting to (? dunno, Audubon?) at the time and got a reply informing me that there were two breeding pairs in Boston city at the time. I also see now (having googled how many floors the tower had) that the deck has been closed since 9/11.
(Related note, much less vivid - a couple of years ago, in Johannesburg, from a distance I saw a pair of falcons circling the upper floors of the Leonardo Hotel for several minutes. I'd guess they were also Peregrines, but couldn't be sure from range. They seem to like the tallest buildings in cities - which that hotel is.)
60 floors up the John Hancock Tower, on the observation deck, walking round and admiring great city views, when something appeared outside the glass - a Peregrine, easily mastering the updrafts that were clearly quite strong at that height, was gliding around the building at (human) head-height, no more than ten feet away through the window. It appeared to look at the observing humans at close range, but I guess was actually seeing its own reflection.
After a short sojourn at height, moving to the opposite side of the building at one point, it eventually peeled away in a rapid arc, down in the direction of the river towards Cambridge. I reported the siting to (? dunno, Audubon?) at the time and got a reply informing me that there were two breeding pairs in Boston city at the time. I also see now (having googled how many floors the tower had) that the deck has been closed since 9/11.
(Related note, much less vivid - a couple of years ago, in Johannesburg, from a distance I saw a pair of falcons circling the upper floors of the Leonardo Hotel for several minutes. I'd guess they were also Peregrines, but couldn't be sure from range. They seem to like the tallest buildings in cities - which that hotel is.)
