Falcon gets tangled in angler's line on Erie's bayfront

[Donna]

Rob Kupniewski was attempting to reel in a steelhead Sunday morning from the north face of Dobbins Landing in downtown Erie.

"It was running pretty hard, and it went past the guy next to me and around the corner,'' Kupniewski said.

That's when things got interesting.

In the blink of an eye, Kupniewski, 36, of Erie, watched as a peregrine falcon dived toward the fish, which was about 30 feet from Dobbins Landing.

"It was so fast, I barely saw it,'' said Kupniewski, a lifelong fisherman. "It went from the air to on top of the fish. As soon as the bird hit the water, it became tangled in the line.''

Kupniewski reeled in the bird, then cut his line, losing the fish.

"The bird wasn't hooked,'' Kupniewski said.

The fish line was wrapped around the falcon's wings and body.

Kupniewski put a soft net over the bird and spent about 20 minutes reaching under the net and gently cutting away the line to untangle the falcon.

"I couldn't tell at first if the bird was hurt,'' he said. "I was going to take him to the emergency animal hospital near the (Erie) zoo. I put a jacket over the net so he wouldn't be freaked out.''

Kupniewski estimated his net was 22 inches wide, and that the falcon "pretty much filled it up.''

"He was a big-sized bird,'' Kupniewski said. "My main concern was making sure it was OK. I know there's not a lot of them out there, and it's a beautiful bird.''

Kupniewski said he noticed the bird was banded on both feet.

When Kupniewski removed the jacket that covered the net, he realized the falcon had managed to free itself from the net.

"He hopped around a couple times and took off and flew low over the water,'' Kupniewski said. "Then he flew straight up in the air like a rocket toward the public library.''

Kupniewski does not believe the bird was injured. "There was no blood,'' he said. "His feathers were fine and he looked perfect. He was flying perfect.''

Earlier this year, local birders reported seeing a pair of peregrine falcons hanging out along Erie's bayfront.

The pair has also been seen about and atop the 200-foot smokestack near Blasco Library.

GoErie.com

[Carol P.]

This is very interesting.  He says this bird was banded.  and based on the fisherman saying it was a large bird, was it a female?  Wonder who this pair may be?  Not too far from Rochester....   

[jeanne]

we need to train people to not only be concerned and notice bands but to write the band info down.  Nice that he cared for the falcon though!

[MAK]

Good man to save this falcon!