I wish I had as many opportunities with Merlins as I do with their slightly smaller cousins, the more common American Kestrels.
1/250, f/13, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I found this one on September 12, 2014 in Montana’s Centennial Valley as it was enjoying a breakfast of frozen meadowlark (to continue the meadowlark theme from yesterday’s post). It was an unusually cold morning and only seconds before this shot was taken the sun had finally come up over a fog bank which partially explains the very warm light and my slow shutter speed. I like the warm, complementary colors throughout and of course a falcon with prey always makes me a happy photographer.
I took many photos of this bird but eventually I left “him” on the post to enjoy his meal in peace and drove on down the road. I’m sure it took him quite a while to eat his fill because the meadowlark was literally frozen solid so the eating process was a slow one.
One day I’d like to hang around until a Merlin finishes eating because they sometimes perform what’s been called a “post-feeding dance” as they rotate their body in place while kneading their feet on the perch. Presumably it’s done to clean their feet.
From the description it sounds like it might resemble a Native American dance. Wouldn’t that be fun to witness and to photograph!
Ron
I will have to watch for the happy dance. I did not know they did that!
We have a Merlin hanging around our neighborhood again this winter. He might be here all summer too, I only notice him when it is cold enough to stop riding my bike and start walking to work instead.
At 11 degrees F, I wonder how long it took for the meadowlark to thaw out before the Falcon was able to get a few good bites of food.
The Falcon looks like it is pondering about how to proceed.
Thank you, Ron
I doubt it if thawed out at all, Alice. The Merlin was getting frozen chunks off of it with its very sharp beak.
Of cours I would love to see that happy dance.
And might even do a small (and graceless) one of my own to see it.
Glorious light today.
I can imagine you doing your famous happy dance even better now, EC. I think I saw a photo of you today on Facebook that Nicky posted… 🙂
I hope not. Nicky promised me no photos.
Oops. It was a group photo so I wasn’t sure if it was you.
Count me among those who’d like to see the “happy food dance!” Until then, I’m more than content to see beautiful shots like this one.
I totally understand the slowness of a frozen repast — we had “freezer soup” last night and it seemed to take forever to thaw (must have been very hardy split peas!).
Thanks, Marty. I’m hungry but have been trying to wait till noon to eat. Not a chance of that after your comment got me to thinking about good soup on this cold winter day.
If we lived closer, I’d bring you some! I don’t think that the USPS (or even UPS or FedEx) would take kindly to my shipping it your way.
Beautiful bird and picture! A technical question: why were you shooting at f13? The merlin is in sharp focus from tail tip to beak!
John, the bird is in sharp focus from tip to beak BECAUSE I was shooting at f/13. I was pretty close to it and its pose didn’t put its body mostly in one plane. f/13 gave me more DOF.
I do like the golden tones of this. Almost Midas-touched. Now I must look for that food dance as well. 🙂
I’d love to see it. Getting photos would be a bonus. Thanks, Arwen.
The color of this Merlin is quite different from “Jack” in your March 7 post. Could this be from lighting/exposure or perhaps it is a female or immature? Beautiful photo in any case.
I’m not sure, Lyle. There are 3 races of Merlins , including Taiga and Prairie but I don’t know enough about their differences, other than Prairies being lighter in color overall.
Another gorgeous bird and photograph! Thank you very much. Someday I hope to see one of these in person.
I hope you get to see one too, Joanne. Thanks.
Very nice photo Ron. Would love to see that dance. In almost 13 years here I have only seen a Merlin twice and both times it was a grey/black Merlin at Sibley’s refers to as “Black Population.”
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
I’ve only photographed a handful of them, Everett. This one was quite cooperative, probably because it was so cold – 11 degrees F and it was only September. That’s Montana for you.
Lovely photo Ron – very nice. Merlin’s do seem to be much harder to come across than their cousins. I was unaware of the food dance (I also do that sometimes). Good info, appreciate your photography, knowledge and the effort you put forth to gracing our inboxes with neat photos and facts almost every morning 🙂
“I also do that sometimes”
That made me laugh, Zaph – especially after reading your recent FB posts regarding being a barbecue judge! Thanks very much.
“being a barbecue judge”
And how does one sign up for that job? I’d gladly do it for free! 😉
Beautiful! The warm colors in the background blend with/set off the merlin. 🙂 I’m sure it was slow going – tough but also freeze it’s innards out! 😉 If I’ve ever seen one I didn’t realize it…. A post feeding dance would be cool to watch…….
Judy, Yes, it had to be slow eating that meadowlark. While I was photographing the Merlin I could actually hear its bill “clinking” on the frozen prey.
Beautiful photo. Love the feather shadings. Dare I say this is a ‘delicate’ looking bird without insulting it? it is beautiful. ❤️ That background certainly does complement the falcon. To me monochromatic backgrounds just make everything look so sharp. A ‘post-feeding dance’…that would really be something to see. I’m sure sometime in the future we will see a series from you labeled as such! 😉 As a side note…looking at all your photos has made me try to set a new standard for myself…always get a catchlight! Just a wee spot of light but what a difference it makes.
Thanks very much, Kathy. Yes, light in the eye is essential for a quality photo IMO. There are exceptions where I don’t think they’re absolutely necessary but having one always enhances the photo.