We are sorry to have to report the death of Linda yesterday. She died in captivity under the expert care of an experienced falcon handler in Panama City.
Although we can never be certain exactly what happened to her, we do know that she was found incapacitated a few feet off a road five hours west of Panama City. She was unable to stand and during her last days and she never regained the use of her legs. Examination of her transmitter showed two major impact "chips" on the top surface of the unit indicating a possible collision. We are having her x-rayed to see if there were any fractures involved.
She was a remarkable peregrine and taught all of us many things since last February. She showed us that migrants can roost near 16,000 in the Andes and cover 580 miles in a single day. We never knew any of that before. She amazed us all with her strength, her innate sense of navigation and her beauty.
We also learned that satellite telemetry is a two-edged sword. We can stand amazed and delighted at what it teaches us but it is also a reminder that what we love will pass. Peregrines have a finite life span and so do we. So maybe Linda's last "lesson" is to enjoy it all while you can.
