Peregrine Falcon at Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee Wisconsin on October 11, 2020

As I was birding Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee a darker subject caught my eye out in the open field on the ground. I knew this was too dark for a gull, it was a Peregrine Falcon! Peregrine Falcons are reported by some to be the fastest bird in the world, what a beautiful bird. There actually was a gull there too, but it was just the remains of a Ring-billed Gull, as the Peregrine Falcon had just finished eating most of the gull that it eats. I hung around from a distance and took a few shots. It moved a few feet from the gull killing site at one point but then eventually took to the sky. The park was loaded with bikers, walkers, joggers, even had a Yoga class going nearby. I photographed the remains of the gull for documentation,  interesting how the bird sorted out the body parts of the gull. “Dana” is this name of this beauty. (See more information on Dana at the bottom of this page) A cloudy day but temps were pleasant. Images were taken on October 11, 2020.

***** Warning, some images are graphic *****

Where I observed the Peregrine Falcon just finishing up the eating of the Ring-billed Gull…

Looking at me…

Looking around at all the park visitors…

Flies a short distance…

Leg bands are seen…

Looking at me again, mouth some what open…

Mouth closed…

The killing site…

Feathers galore, you know there was some struggling and plucking going on here…

Parts sorted out…

Distant shot leaving the area…

This information was provided to me by Greg Septon of Falconwatch.
This is a female named “Dana” (b/blu) 79/W. She was produced in 2019 at the St. Mary’s Hospital nest site in Chicago, IL. She turned up at the Veolia Water site in Milwaukee on March 31 this year as a brown immature bird. She was courted by the resident male “Rounder” (b/g) B/38 who was produced in 2007 at Milwaukee’s Miller Brewery site.
Dana laid 2 eggs between April 30 – May 2. Both eggs hatched on June 6, I banded them on June 25, and, both successfully fledged.