A Vagrant No More

A White-faced Ibis was present at Plum Island in northern Massachusetts for the last week.  It's a rare bird in the state, and given its proximity to the Boston area, one several birders would be interested in making an effort to see. 

Well, except that's not likely to happen now as a local Peregrine Falcon has made quick work of the vagrant, and more, the entire exchange was caught on video by a lucky group of ornithology students from Green Mountain College in Vermont. 

As if this wasn't dramatic enough, the Peregrine has one eye, and you can see the damaged left side when the bird turns its head.  It's a remarkable video, though perhaps less so if you're a Massachusetts birder still looking for White-faced Ibis who'd perhaps be forgiven for holding a grudge against this swash-buckling Falcon.  Plum Island is clearly a rough neighborhood.

Thanks to Professor Mike Blust for sharing the video on YouTube, and to Christopher Ciccone for directing attention to it.