Sept., 1909 
CLIFF CLIMBING FOR PRAIRIE FALCON EGGS 
165 
hundred feet of sheer rock wall to the sharp-edged stones below, and thinks what 
would happen to him if he should make a slip. 
Such were our feelings when we stood peering over the side of a red sandstone 
cliff nearly one hundred feet in hight and slanting in near the base. This cliff is 
situated among the foothills about twenty miles to the southwest of Denver, at the 
canyon known as Deer Creek. One of the party, Mr. Harold Durand, had noticed 
that for two years before, a pair of Prairie Falcons ( Falco mexicanus ) nested there; 
so, on this day, May 2, 1909, we resolved to explore the face of the cliff. 
A little more than a third of the hight from the bottom was a cave-like opening 
about six feet high, four wide, and three back. Here the falcon had located her 
nest, soon to be disturbed by this party of egg seekers, with Mr. Durand as climber 
to represent them. 
NESTING SITE OE PRAIRIE FALCON NEAR LITTLETON, COLORADO 
As the rope went over the side of the cliff Mrs. Falcon could stand the excite- 
ment no longer and left the cliff protesting loudly. On looking over the edge the 
climber decided that he would rather climb up from the bottom than risk going 
over the top. Loops were tied in the rope about every ten feet so that he might 
rest. As he drew up opposite the opening, the cheering word came down to us, 
“five eggs.” After a few pictures had been taken from below, the camera was 
sent up to the man in the cave for the photographing of the eggs. When this had 
been performed the camera returned and up went the egg box, each of the party 
below sending up some special directions, by wireless, as to the packing of the 
eggs. Now in order to correctly identify the eggs it was necessary to collect either 
or both of the birds. We had one shell left, and held our breath as Mrs. Falcon 
sailed over within range. The gun crackt. A piercing scream came from the bird. 
