Falcon on my balcon

I had intended to post some gorgeous photos of the Opera Garnier today, but something came up. You'll never guess who just dropped by to peek through our living room window. It took me about 10 seconds to register that this was no mere Parisian pigeon: It's a FALCON. Slightly bigger than a pigeon but most definitely NOT one, he had yellow feet and eyes, a sort of zebra-stripe pattern to the feathers on his front, and a bit of a grey streak on his head. That reddish spot on his head is really some kind of reflection, as I had to take this through two layers of windows on our loggia, with my iPhone. I was afraid that if I went to find my Nikon, he'd be gone. But he stayed for about five minutes! Maybe he was admiring our view? I did some research online to see if I could confirm that he is, in fact, a falcon (I'm about 95% sure on that) and then which type (I'm about 80% sure he's a peregrine, but if there are any falcon afficionados out there who can confirm or correct that, feel free). He's definitely got that "bird of... Read more →