No Eagles... butttttttt

PrescottPhotog

Hi Everyone,

These 4:30am mornings are killing me. I've been out to the dead trees a couple mornings in a row with no luck (for eagles). I've been staying from dawn till about noon then I loose the sun. If I don't get there just before dawn every critter on the lake can see me hike up the rocks.

Yesterday I tried the same area, new location. I tucked myself deep in a rocky crevice, hoping no snakes or tarantulas hiding deeper in the crevice would feel my body heat and want to snuggle. I sat on the bare rocks for 5 hours which didn't help staying warm. No eagles showed up.

But these two guys did. The Kestrel came first and I got a great shot of him screaming at something. For a little guy he sure made a lot of noise.. but it was so early his left side as totally black from the shadows and I couldn't lighten it up. So I only got two shots. Just when I was about to leave the second guy showed up.

Even though I was pretty well concealed he kept looking over his shoulder. I don't think he figured out I was there because he actually sat there for about 20 minutes looking for munchies. Finally just before he left he showed me just what he thought about me treading into his territory.. the proverbial Falcon poop shot..:rofl I wanted a flight shot but all I got was his back when he launched through the branches.

Shortly after he left I packed up to leave and as I was walking out I saw him sitting on the rocks just below munching away on some poor little critter he had just caught.

I'm not sure if I ever posted the last shot. I got this late last spring in a different part of the lake. I think it is the same bird (or it's mate). They have a nest deep in the rocks and they're always cruising the lake. He had just finished eating and stopped (different tree) to clean the feathers out of his beak and bloody talons. Thought I would post it for some action (it was a gray cloudy day).

#1


#2


#3


#4


#5


#6


#7 (from last spring.. same bird or its mate).

SciurusNiger

Wow. The flight shot is almost perfect in obviously very bright light.

#5 is excellent. Great DOF so you have wonderful feather detail, and the head angle prevents the obvious deep shadows from distracting the eye.

The last one (#7) is almost perfect, too. The extension of wings and legs and tail is deadly terrific.

I think the early rising was well worth it!

bfjr

Excellent find and Excellent captures

Mark Edell

Stunning!! What a great day that must have been. Grats!

bhowdy

Great captures Chris! I really like the fianl image of the Falcon. Super detail.
Yeah that bird photography is easy ... schleep up the rocks, settle in cramped and cold, hoping for a couple of special images. And then the comment ... wow you sure must have gotten lucky!

Ric Grupe

Good ones, Chris!

What is the "second guy"?

dlplumer

Great set Chris

KurtPreston

#7 is just an incredible shot! I've been out looking for the local eagle pair around here but they do not seem ready to settle down yet.

PrescottPhotog

SciurusNiger wrote:

Wow. The flight shot is almost perfect in obviously very bright light.
#5 is excellent. Great DOF so you have wonderful feather detail, and the head angle prevents the obvious deep shadows from distracting the eye. The last one (#7) is almost perfect, too. The extension of wings and legs and tail is deadly terrific. I think the early rising was well worth it!

Hi, Thanks for the great comments. I don't mind the early rising except I'm out like a light at about 7 the next night.. I used to be able to go for a couple days in a row.. guess I'm just out of practice.

PrescottPhotog

bfjr wrote:

Excellent find and Excellent captures

Hi Ben.. Thanks for your comments, much appreciated.

PrescottPhotog

Mark Edell wrote:

Stunning!! What a great day that must have been. Grats!

Hi Mark.. It was a good day but it was hard holding the camera on the Falcon for 20 minutes (at half shutter) waiting for him to launch (which I missed).. and the wind was blowing like crazy to boot. I was surprised he sat there that long, I was about ready to shoo him off..

PrescottPhotog

bhowdy wrote:

Great captures Chris! I really like the fianl image of the Falcon. Super detail.
Yeah that bird photography is easy ... schleep up the rocks, settle in cramped and cold, hoping for a couple of special images. And then the comment ... wow you sure must have gotten lucky!

Hi Bob.. Thanks for your comments. I used to think waiting for an hour or so for a shot was a real sacrifice until I watched Planet Earth on Discovery and saw how some of those guys sat for months and whole seasons waiting for a single clip. It put things in perspective.

It's amazing, if I loose track of the time I know when it is exactly 10:15 am every day (and I mean you can set your watch to it).. because every day for a couple weeks now about 100 or more Canadian Geese come in over the boulders at exactly 10:15.. They must be off in the distant fields feeding and make the trek back to the lake at exactly the same time every day.. hooting and hollowing all the way. You can hear them coming for miles.

PrescottPhotog

Ric Grupe wrote:

Good ones, Chris!

What is the "second guy"?

Hi Ric.. Peregrine Falcon.. the fastest critter in the world. Having seen one dive and go screaming by me about 4 feet off my shoulder last year (scaring the crap out of me).. I can attest to the fact it is more fun than watching an F-18.

Here are two more shots from last spring of him sitting in the tree after it cleaned up (using the dead tree branches to rub his beak on) from lunch.. (as I mentioned, it was a gray and dull overcast day).

#1


#2

NorthernFocus

Wow, nice set of images. Not a bad fall back plan when the eagles don't show up for you That second shot is really nice Then being a sucker for BIFs and talon shots, I like the last one next best. But all well executed

Ric Grupe

PrescottPhotog wrote:

Peregrine Falcon

Thanks, Chris.

In the fall of '07 when I was up at Trempealeau NWR on the Mississippi River...I was walking along a dike and stopped to get a shot of a molting Cardinal. While lining up the Cardinal I could here a bird shrieking bloody murder...in a flash a raptor flew in and grabbed the shrieker...did a 180 and shot off. It was too fast to be sure...but my impression was that it was a Northern Harrier...perhaps it was a Falcon. It wasn't ten steps further and I heard dead branches snapping as an immature Bald Eagle was leaving his roost. His talons were within 3 feet of my head as he was trying to gain altitude. Nature is fun!

dbaker1221

terrific series:ivar

Harryb

Excellent set Chris.

Maestro

Duuuudddddeeeee. I'd exchange an eagle for the handsome peregrine. It's actually gotten to the point that it is much more difficult for me to find a peregrine than an eagle. I actually have never seen one in person. I'd love to one day. In the meantime, I will live vicariously through your images.

Jack'll do

Magnificent captures Chris. I especially like the last one in the first set. thumb

PrescottPhotog

articblooms wrote:

Wow, nice set of images. Then being a sucker for BIFs and talon shots, I like the last one next best. But all well executed

Hi Dan, Thanks for your comments. The talon shot is one of my favorites too (except for the overcast day).

This shot taught me a good lesson about being prepared for anything at any time. I was sitting in the bush and the tree was across the creek. It's a favorite tree for Kestrels because of the clear view to the ground since it is totally dead. I never saw this guy coming, he came in inches off the ground and swooped up to the top of the tree (about 20 feet). It all happened in a split second as you can see by the fact that he has all his "stop" feathers and tail fanned out for a full out to stop. He cleaned up and off he went.

PrescottPhotog

dbaker1221 wrote:

terrific series:ivar

Hi Dave, Thanks for your comments.

PrescottPhotog

Harryb wrote:

Excellent set Chris.

Thanks for your comments Harry.

PrescottPhotog

Maestro wrote:

I actually have never seen one in person. I'd love to one day. In the meantime, I will live vicariously through your images.

Hi Stephen, I usually only see them going 200 mph or so high it doesn't warrant a shot. They make a couple passes a day over the lake, very high and very fast. They dive bomb the ducks and scare the heck out of them just because they can.. They are really something to see and can go from one side of the lake to the other in seconds..

PrescottPhotog

Jack'll do wrote:

Magnificent captures Chris. I especially like the last one in the first set. thumb

Hi Jack.. Thanks for viewing and for your comments.

Corehead

As long as you're getting up so early, why not head north on 89A past Chino Valley and get us some pronghorn antelope shots