13 February 2025

Though it’s been cold and snowy, Chad+Chris Saladin are busy monitoring peregrine territories in northeastern Ohio to see who’s present and who is not.

On Sunday 9 February they caught up with Gusto, the male peregrine who’s been resident at the Hilliard Road Bridge site over the Rocky River since 2021. While Chad took photos Chris captured a video of Gusto watching and preening on a branch, then doing a tap dance on the ice before he took off.

Here he is in slow motion.

p.s. You probably noticed that Gusto pooted before he took off. Birds typically lighten their load before takeoff by getting rid of useless “baggage.” So they poot before they fly.