A message from a friend told of a falcon in central Whanganui city, and from a photo sent we were quickly able to find the spot -a backyard of a private residence. From the hotel next door, we could view the area and on our first visit we spotted it in minutes. What an encounter, a female adult falcon at close range, and such a beautiful bird. There was a phoenix palm on the same section, and a group of rock pigeon roosted there, so the falcon had a ready supply of food. Looking around the backyard one could see piles of feathers from previous meals. The falcon stayed five days in total, by which time the remaining pigeons had moved on. The birds lengthy stay enabled me to get pictures of many activities, resting, killing, feeding, and preening. What a privilege.
