I've always wanted to see a Peregrine Falcon and have travelled to a number of places where they are sometimes seen in the hope of catching a glimpse of one but to no avail. I never thought I would see one from my own house.

I was cleaning my car in when I saw a fairly large bird circling high in the sky on stiff wings. The thought occurred to me that it may be a Peregrine but doubted it because the wings didn't look as pointed as I had seen them in books. As I watched it flew almost casually towards a small flock of homing pigeons which were flying at the same height. It flew straight into the middle of the flock and the pigeons rapidly scattered in all directions in a wild panic. One of the pigeons flew vertically towards the ground, twisting and turning as it went. The Peregrine closed it's wings and dropped like a stone after the pigeon. Just as it looked as though both birds would crash into the rooftops below the Peregrine pulled up and flew away dejectedly. The pigeon survived and later joined the rest of the flock.