I spent most of yesterday helping install a falcon nestbox on the rightmost bluff in this picture. Here are some things I learned:
- Hanging in a harness for four hours hurts.
- Limestone+chert can equal a hard combination to drill into, especially given the lack of leverage to drill from.
- When wasps are crawling on you but not stinging you, look away. This makes it much easier to deal with the whole wasp thing.
We rappelled into a sea of wasps to hang the nestbox. The wasps were paper wasps - not particularly aggressive, for wasps - that were looking for a hibernaculum for winter. I could look down, or across, or above, or right in front of me, and watch them stinging each other. But they left me alone.
Three immature falcons flew by the cliff while we were hanging the box, so I'm hopeful that it will be adopted quickly. This is a great spot - high, sheer, and overlooking the Tiffany Bottoms. I'm guessing the drop was 200-225 feet judging from the amount of rope I had left at the end of it + anchor footage, but I don't know for sure.
