Peregrine Falcon Graces Downtown Springfield Illinois

Peregrine Falcon Dives Faster Than 180 MPH

One perk of working in downtown Springfield, Illinois is the presence of a Peregrine Falcon.  Several weeks ago I walked within about ten meters (30 feet) of a Peregrine.  I snapped a few photos with my cellphone camera, but the quality was so poor that I won't post them here.

Over the last month, or more, I've seen the Peregrine eating (some captured prey?) in one of our company's parking lots.  Yesterday the Falcon flew just feet above my SUV while I was driving down Jefferson street at lunch time - to the delight of me, and my friend Greeneyes.
 
What an incredible bird of prey.  Just to see this beautiful bird stretch its wings and soar is such a privilege.  Not many decades ago this incredible bird was listed on the endangered species list, but has made a remarkable recovery due to the banning of the pesticide DDT.