Peregrines

[alloutdoors]

Visited the peregrines this morning after getting back from a week of vacation and found that two young falcons have successfully fledged. Here's a few shots from today and some other recent photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grampy]

Very nice pictures! Such cool birds. The speed demons of the bird world. We have some nesting and living nearby, on the Helderberg escarpment. Saw one take a starling out of the air last bow season!

[ny hunter]

Really nice pics..

[wooly]

Damn dude.., outstanding!

I like shot #6 the best with him launching off the ledge. Looks like some of his dinner dripped down the front of his chest too!

Where are you finding these things if you don't mind me asking?

Excellent series!

[Cabin Fever]

Love those pics!!

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

[Curmudgeon]

Great shots again.

 

The location is a local destination, and I thank alloutdoors for not disclosing it. The birds tolerate a lot but they do get stressed. Increasing traffic is not in their interests.

 

Wooly - I will PM you the location.

 

Tom

[alloutdoors]

Damn dude.., outstanding!

I like shot #6 the best with him launching off the ledge. Looks like some of his dinner dripped down the front of his chest too!

Where are you finding these things if you don't mind me asking?

Excellent series!

Thanks, I like that one too except for accidentally clipping of the tip of the wing. I'd PM you the location but it looks like Tom already has.

[solon]

awesome !

[Curmudgeon]

The second photo may not be the best from a technical or artistic perspective but it a fascinating behavioral photograph. I love the big blue feet in the first shot of the fledgling.

 

I bet The Conservationist would consider publishing some of these.

[alloutdoors]

The second photo may not be the best from a technical or artistic perspective but it a fascinating behavioral photograph. I love the big blue feet in the first shot of the fledgling.

 

I bet The Conservationist would consider publishing some of these.

 

Yeah, I wish that one could have come out a bit better. I had switched from my 600mm lens to my 300mm because one of the adults had been making some very slow passes at close range along the cliff edge just sort of hovering in the wind. It left me a bit undergunned for that shot of the fledglings dog-fighting, I had to crop in quite a bit and focus wasn't spot on, probably because they weren't a large enough target in the viewfinder with the shorter lens.

 

Anyway, here's one more shot from a week ago right after one of the adults made a kill. The falcon had been sitting on this same branch when it dove down into the valley below and I watched it streak out about 1/2 a mile over the farm fields. I couldn't see the kill from that distance but I knew it had successfully knocked something out of the air when it circled around and landed out in a plowed field. After several minutes it flew back up to the same perch, with the blood and feathers of some unfortunate bird stuck to its beak and talons.

[wooly]

Yeah, I wish that one could have come out a bit better. I had switched from my 600mm lens to my 300mm because one of the adults had been making some very slow passes at close range along the cliff edge just sort of hovering in the wind. It left me a bit undergunned for that shot of the fledglings dog-fighting, I had to crop in quite a bit and focus wasn't spot on, probably because they weren't a large enough target in the viewfinder with the shorter lens.

 

Anyway, here's one more shot from a week ago right after one of the adults made a kill. The falcon had been sitting on this same branch when it dove down into the valley below and I watched it streak out about 1/2 a mile over the farm fields. I couldn't see the kill from that distance but I knew it had successfully knocked something out of the air when it circled around and landed out in a plowed field. After several minutes it flew back up to the same perch, with the blood and feathers of some unfortunate bird stuck to its beak and talons.

 

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that the image doesn't  always tell the whole story.

Sometimes the events that lead up to a photo are more impressive than what was actually captured!

I know they say "a picture is worth 1000 words", but sometimes a little narration goes a long way painting a bigger picture of how that shot came to be.

You nailed that one from both angles, and I admire your work as some of the best I've ever seen.... but you already knew that!