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Martha is a wild hatched falcon, progeny of a wild peregrine mother and a captive bred father of unknown lineage. Fearing that the young were not pure peregrine, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife took the three out of the aerie on the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Martha's parents were given other peregrine chicks from off a bridge in Virginia (they were certain to drown upon fledging due to downdrafts). Martha was one of the three young taken as a downy. She was given to me with the stipulation that I would not release her to the wild or breed her. Martha is a falconry bird and a good companion. She is extremely friendly and loves to bathe in a more appropriate vessel, a roasting pan placed on the kitchen floor. |
