Light like this very rarely occurs in bird photography that doesn’t involve setups or some other kind of manipulation, especially when the subject is a wild Prairie Falcon.
I posted another photo of this bird about two years ago but this image is new to my blog. Yesterday morning at Bear River MBR I didn’t get any photos I like very much but I had a memorable experience that inspired my choice of subjects for this post.
I was driving south along the auto tour route when I encountered a Prairie Falcon on the ground within feet of the right side of the dirt road directly in front of me. It let me get very close before it flew off but of course it was on the wrong side of my pickup so I didn’t get any photos. I only rarely see Prairie Falcons on the refuge and getting that close to that species is almost unheard of so the falcon was an exciting find even without getting any photos or anything else interesting happening.
Its crop was obviously bulging so I knew it had fed recently and wondered if it had been on prey when it flew so I stopped my pickup right next to where it had been perched on the ground about 5′ from the road edge. From inside my pickup I could see there was prey there but couldn’t ID it so I got out to walk behind my vehicle so I could inspect it more closely.
As I crossed the narrow dirt road directly behind my pickup a Short-eared Owl flushed from the grasses perhaps 15′ in front of me! That meant that the falcon and the owl had been perched within about 30′ of each other when I originally approached but of course I hadn’t seen the owl then. I was very surprised to find those two species so close to each other as they were perched on the ground and can only speculate as to why. And speculating about it is exactly what I did during much of the long drive home.
And that’s why I chose to post a Prairie Falcon photo this morning. I have Prairie Falcons (and Short-eared Owls) on the brain right now.
1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This is a young female Prairie Falcon I found several years ago along the causeway to Antelope Island. It was so early in the morning that light was just beginning to reach the bird so her tail, wingtips, the rock perch and most of the background are still in shade which provided a spotlight effect on the falcon. It was cold so she was fluffed up to keep warm.
At certain times of year I used to see both Prairie and Peregrine Falcons along the causeway but it almost never happens anymore. The lake is much lower than it used to be so there’s little water nearby and very few ducks and shorebirds as potential prey so falcons don’t even bother to show up.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I miss having them around.
Ron
Note: The prey the Prairie Falcon was on was some kind of duck, possibly a teal.
A truly sweet shot! You showed great restraint in not showcasing it the next day!
Ron, I’m very late to my post. I hope/expect that you are resting up for your next shooting day. I find that the exchange between your readers and you to be quite informative. I do not expect to see mNY of the species you post, but live vicariously through your blog. It makes me feel like I’ve been there with you and I so much thank you for that.
Thanks very much, Alice. Rest – what’s that? I’m working on tomorrow’s post… 🙂
Besides, looks like it’s going to be crappy weather for a few days, starting tomorrow.
Always love your reflections, Ron. We’ll be heading off to San Rafael Swell for a few days with our Jeep Club [Wasatch Outlaw Wheelers] and hope that we can avoid some of the more recent issues with damages, that we’ve encountered. It is always a new evaluation of the equipment vs. the elements and the knowledge of the people who you respect to repair your vehicle…..a balance of money spent vs. enjoyment. I’m not a big gambler so I find it challgneing. Thanks for listening, Ron
This picture really teaches how a photo can have “warm” light. And “cool”. Really great shot!
Thank you, Arwen.
Perfect timing. Cold rock contrasted with the warm (looking) bird. Very rare sighting here, even rarer than the Peregrine, but now I know to take care to differentiate the two.
Thanks, Lyle. They’re not common anywhere that I’m aware of.
WHAT an incredible shot. And morning. Not surprised you were/are wondering. I am too.
Thank you, EC.
What a marvelous shot! The light is perfect for the scene. She definitely looks cold, poor thing.
Very interesting to have both species so close to each other yesterday. I wonder if the Shortie was there by happenstance or was a young, sick, or desperate bird that threw out the playbook and was going to hope for some leftovers. Wish I could have been a bug on a tree to witness what happened after you left. At least you got to see one of your beloved SEOWs. 😄
Marty, I thought about hanging around the duck carcass to see if either one returned to it. Based on my photos later that morning I probably should have.
Oooh…the plot thickens…as the carcass thins. 😉
I love this photo. It feels spiritual to me. She seems deep in thought. Bird populations in my area (Greensboro NC) are suffering. It seems to have started with the West Nile Virus in 1999. I used to see Kestrels often but no more. Only Canada Geese seem to be thriving. Thank you for sharing this beautiful Prairie Falcon.
“I love this photo. It feels spiritual to me”
This kind of light can have that effect. Thanks, Melanie.
Beautiful bird, perfect light, beautiful photo. I have never seen a Prairie Falcon. Not sure if we have them here from time to time. Will have to check. We do have Peregrine Falcons and I have taken many photos of them. Thanks for posting this exceptional photo Ron.
My range map suggests you’re in their range, Everett. Finding typical habitat for them is probably key for finding them but they’re seldom very common.
What a fantastic photo!! So beautiful. I saw my first peregrine falcon the other day! I did manage to get a rather poor photograph 🙂
Joanne, IMO a poor photo of a peregrine is better than none…
Gorgeous photo and bird!
Thanks, Cindy.
OutStanding!
Thanks, CJ.
Stunning! 🙂 Beautiful lighting with the dark background 🙂 Wonder if in the early light the SEO thought the falcon couldn’t see it? Who knows! Interesting!
Thanks, Judy. It wasn’t particularly early when I saw the owl with the falcon. I’m close to certain they were aware of each other’s presence.
That is one beautifully lit falcon and one fine looking rock perch, love how the talon splays on the rock.
When the owl flushed at such close range it must have been quite a moment. Was the launch pretty much silent?
Yes, the only sound I heard was its wings hitting the grasses when it first lifted off. After it was airborne it was completely silent. Quite a contrast to the racket several pheasants made when they were flushed by my approaching pickup that morning!
Stunning…the only word I can use! Well perhaps perfection fits also! 😍 The way the light accents the overlapping feathers and the breast markings is beautiful. What a find for you. I am envious. Short Ears have been on my mind also lately. A drive out to the marsh late last week was disappointing. With all our rain this summer (and still continuing) I found the roads barricaded…the roads were completely underwater and the marsh never did dry out in spots this year. I’m afraid that it will be another bad year for owls and quite possibly RoughLegged Hawks…no prey. The few areas that did dry a bit would not have enough rodents to support even a small population. It was the same last year. Very disappointing…I hope I’m wrong.
Thanks, Kathy. I’m sorry to hear your owls are scarce just like ours have been for too long now.
Ron–the “spotlit” Prairie Falcon is an exquisite image–I hadn’t seen it in the past, so I’m glad you had occasion to show it again ! I have a question, probably too basic for most of your followers-
why wouldn’t a short-eared owl and a Prairie Falcon be found very close together ? Would it be because they are both predators in competition for similar prey ?
Thanks, Kris. Actually I’d never posted this particular image before.
In my experience these two species avoid each other unless (possibly) when one is mobbing the other but I would expect that to be an unusual occurrence. What surprised me is that they were PERCHED! so close together. The only reason for that I can think of is that the owl was waiting for leftovers after the falcon took off but I’ve never seen Short-eared Owls feeding on carrion and I’ve spent a lot of time with the species.