Peregrine Falcon (pair)

PrescottPhotog · January 23, 2009

Hi Everyone,

It's been a little crummy, rainy and overcast for the last week here and more to come next week according to the weather guy.

I got to the lake before daylight last week hoping to get some eagles shots. I no sooner got set up (it was still dark) when this falcon came along. I was shooting a big lens so I cranked it open to f/4 at high ISO hoping to get a shot before it left. I could hardly see it through the viewfinder it was so dark. I got two shots before it left.

A bit later as the sun came up more and it was a bit brighter. I looked in the tree farther away and there was another one sitting there, but much smaller (must be the male figuring the female is larger). The larger one came back and swooped in and they both sat there for quite some time just looking around and moving around on the branches.. never spotting me as I snapped away.

Then.. out of the blue came an eagle swooping down not liking the falcon that was sitting in its tree. I only got one shot of the tail end of the eagle as it dove after the smaller falcon.. not a chance of catching it. Both flew off down behind the boulders.
If you want to see why the eagle didn't like the falcon sitting on his branch see my post from a couple weeks ago.. the falcon was on the eagles favorite perch.
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=116508

A bit later as the sun was finally out in full the larger falcon came back and sat on the branch in the closer tree. Even though it was hidden by a branch I posted a couple of shots because the color from the full sun really turned out well. The last two have almost no post processing done to them, just a tad bit of USM and crop. They were really enjoying the two trees until the eagle came by.

These dead trees have sooooo many intertwined branches it is almost impossible to not have one block the shot.. but the raptors sure like them for the high unobstructed view of the lake.

#1 - Just barely dawn

#2 - Just barely dawn and cold (so was she)

#3

#4

#5 - Two falcons in a tree

#6 - The smaller one (male I think) at the top of the tree

#7 - The smaller one (male I think) at the top of the tree

#8 - Pesky eagle, not liking the falcon in its spot

#10 - Female (I think) with beautiful colors and perfect sun position

#11 - Female (I think) with beautiful colors and perfect sun position

bfjr · January 23, 2009

Gorgeous Bird very well captured

jeffmeyers · January 23, 2009

Very cool. What lens did you use?

Maestro · January 23, 2009

Exceptionally well done!

PrescottPhotog · January 23, 2009

bfjr wrote:

Gorgeous Bird very well captured

Thanks Ben, I sure enjoyed getting a few shots of them sitting, especially the last two.. except for the branch

PrescottPhotog · January 23, 2009

jeffmeyers wrote:

Very cool. What lens did you use?

Hi Jeff, I was shooting a Mark III with a 600mm f/4 on a monopod.

PrescottPhotog · January 23, 2009

Maestro wrote:

Exceptionally well done!

Hi Stephen, Thanks for viewing and for your comments.

Ric Grupe · January 23, 2009

The shake and the stare in #2!

thumb

Like 'em all, Chris.:D

kdog · January 23, 2009

What incredible luck! Peregrines are rare anyway, so to get a pair of them is amazing. Great job of capturing the action, Chris. Congrats!!

-joel

kgarrett11 · January 23, 2009

Great shots. I like #11 the best. Isn't it funny how a bird can sit in a tree for so long but when it takes off it is always away from you.

Giphsub · January 24, 2009

Great set Chris. I love #6. What a good looking bird.

PrescottPhotog · January 24, 2009

Ric Grupe wrote:

The shake and the stare in #2! thumb

Like 'em all, Chris.:D

Thanks Ric, #2 is one of my favorites too.

PrescottPhotog · January 24, 2009

kdog wrote:

What incredible luck! Peregrines are rare anyway, so to get a pair of them is amazing. Great job of capturing the action, Chris. Congrats!! -joel

Thanks Joel, We have several pairs here that nest year round but the Forest Service closes all the areas off almost all winter (same for all the eagles) so they aren't disturbed while breeding so capturing them is totally being in the right place at the right time. They don't stay long.

PrescottPhotog · January 24, 2009

kgarrett11 wrote:

Great shots. I like #11 the best. Isn't it funny how a bird can sit in a tree for so long but when it takes off it is always away from you.

You're right about the launch.. every time in the wrong direction. Thanks for viewing.

PrescottPhotog · January 24, 2009

Giphsub wrote:

Great set Chris. I love #6. What a good looking bird.

Hi Mike, Thanks for viewing. The one you commented on is very small and has much whiter breast and belly feathers compared to the other, which looks almost twice the size with very orangey feathers.

raptorcaptor · January 25, 2009

Good set Chris! Looks like you have plenty of raptors to keep you busy!

PrescottPhotog · January 25, 2009

raptorcaptor wrote:

Good set Chris! Looks like you have plenty of raptors to keep you busy!

Hi Glenn.. Not so on all the raptors. This year here is very strange. Last year (if you remember all the raptor pics I posted) all I had to do was to point the camera in the air to capture a hawk. I counted 25 hawks in my direct line of vision (of all varieties) one day. This year there is hardly a hawk to be seen and I mean nothing. All winter I've only seen a couple Harriers and Kestrels, no Red-Tailed or Rough Legged.. or Coopers. The Peregrine are local and I've just been lucky to capture them more and now I know their favorite tree. We've had about 7 or so eagles here this year and they seem to be hanging around.

Not near as many ducks but there must be 200 geese that have been here for over a month, that's about 190 more than normal. Not very many GBH's and the Cormorants either, only (so far) a handful of GBH and about 6 or 8 cormorants. All in all the bird population is way way down this year but the lakes are way way up.. almost overflowing.

It has been a pretty warm winter so far. January and Feb are our coldest months and so far January has been in the 50's and 60's most of the time. I can't figure out what is going on.

dlplumer · January 26, 2009

Great set. 11 is my fav. Super work.

Harryb · January 28, 2009

Outstanding captures Chris.

We are ahving a strange season down here too. I ahven't sen as many migratory birds as usual and some of our regulars have not been around as much lately.

Peregrine Falcon (pair)

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