In late July, a little “stardust” settled on The Raptor Center’s (TRC) trauma clinic as a celebrity made a visit. His name? Orton, the male breeding peregrine falcon from Rochester Minn. Orton and his companion Hattie, have graced the skies of the Mayo Clinic campus for the past six years, raising young from their nest box atop the Mayo building.

In mid-June, Orton, identified by the leg bands he wore, was found on the ground in the shade of a parked car, taking respite from the hot sun. TRC got the call that a peregrine was down and immediately contacted a Rochester-area wildlife rehabilitator. Once the feisty falcon was contained, one of TRC’s transport volunteers brought him to St. Paul.

Read more about Orton's visit to The Raptor Center