A Satisfying View

[ststephen]

Here's a note I wanted to share. It describes an event on the Colorado in the Grand, but isn't really about rafting. Hope you all enjoy it.

I sat on the bank of the river watching the fading daylight create a moving canvas of color on the Redwall cliffs high above us. A cold beer is in my hand and newly made friends sit in nearby chairs. I have that warm feeling of slightly sore muscles and skin that has spent another day out in the sun and wind. My bare toes instinctively feel their way into the still-warm sand as my thoughts turn to the day's events.

On this trip I was sharing a raft with Joe. He was an accomplished boatman, that I knew before I met him. I didn't know about the music influences we shared, nor the music we would play together on this trip. I didn't know that he also was a birder. These are the little things that you discover when you spend a couple of weeks floating the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. We were both always on the look out for wildlife. Big Horn Sheep on the cliffs. An Ocotillo hanging impossibly on a ledge against the sky. Desert primrose decorating our campsite. The song of the canyon wren. A pink hued barrel cactus on the trail. The ever present ravens scavenging our camp.

Joe let me keep my binoculars in his boatman's ammo can so that they would be at the ready. On this particular day we were lucky enough to get to use them. A birder can quickly differentiate the difference of many birds of prey merely by their shape, how they hold their wings, how they navigate the currents of wind. A Turkey Vulture is quickly separated from a Red-tailed Hawk. Ravens are easy to id with their wedge shaped tail. On this day, a bird of prey soars far above us following the edge of the Redwall. It flies directly, not in the circular spirals of a red-tail. It has pointed wings and a rounded not fan-shaped tail. The bird is far away but Joe and I look at each other and say, almost in unison: "Peregrine"! The binoculars come out and we both get brief looks as it sweeps down the canyon. The scale of the Grand Canyon is always a surprise and even in the binoculars this majestic falcon is small. But it is unmistakably a Peregrine Falcon.

The Peregrine is the largest falcon living in North America. It has the distinction of being the fastest animal in the world, having been clocked in dives to catch prey up to 200 mph. It became a symbol for conservation and changes in pesticide policy in the 1960's when Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" was written. Sitting at the top of the food chain and requiring large tracts of hunting land to breed, the peregrine was in sharp decline due to the use of DDT. Today it is a success story of conservation. While not widespread, they have repopulated all of their favorite haunts. Where does the Top Gun of the bird world want to have a home? On the edge of cliff of course! And where better to find suitable nesting habitat than the Grand Canyon.

So, as Joe and I sat in our camp chairs on the bank of the Colorado, our thoughts naturally turned to the day's encounter with a peregrine. "Pretty cool getting to see that peregrine today, eh"? "Yes", I replied, "It's always cool see one. But, I have to say with it being so far away, it wasn't a particularly satisfying view". I know how impressive a view of a peregrine can be when it soars near. They have this intricate barred pattern under their wings, blue-grey back and wing and a face painted with a bold black hood and mustache. Then there is their style of flight: forceful and powerful, swift and controlled, a jet fighter on a mission of lethal force. We chat some more and sip our beers. Soon some new fliers emerge for our enjoyment: bats. The most common bat species in the Grand Canyon is the Western Pipistrelle, a cute little fellow that also favors cliffs for daytime roosts. As soon as the sun sets the sky above the river is speckled with bats flitting about catching their dinners.

A moment later this tranquil scene is torn apart. Streaking down river at a break neck speed a raptor appears at eye level. We can hear the wind rushing as it zooms past. It’s a quick view, but the dark hood and mustache are clearly visible. The male peregrine continues down river, rises and banks as he turns back for another pass. This time his trajectory is not mid-river but directly over our chairs and our camp. As he reaches the point directly over our heads, he is not more than 20 feet above us. The beautiful barred pattern under his wings is revealed as he spreads his wings and catches a bat in mid flight. We gasp. We shout. Elated to have witnessed this moment of pure wildness in this most exquisite setting at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

I think I finally got my satisfying view.



Weeks later when I was home I was emailing an artist who's paintings I have enjoyed and ordering up a small original painting of a sapsucker. I started to relay the story of the peregrine and as I told it I had the idea that perhaps Lisa could do a work inspired by that story. The image above is the result.

Hope you all enjoy the story and Lisa's art.

[Don]

Very nice.

[ststephen]

Thanks Don.

[blueeyes]

Thanks for sharing Paul.

[Rob L]

A nice read; peregrines are stunning creatures. A lovely piece of artwork too. Thanks for posting.
Rob