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<\/p>\nI wish I had as many opportunities with Merlins as I do with their slightly smaller cousins, the more common\u00a0American Kestrels.<\/p>\n
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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<\/em><\/p>\n 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\u00a0from 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.<\/p>\n I took many photos of this bird but eventually I\u00a0left “him” on the post to enjoy his meal in peace\u00a0and drove on down the road. I’m\u00a0sure it took him quite\u00a0a while to eat his fill because the meadowlark was literally frozen solid so the eating process was a slow one.<\/p>\n 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\u00a0kneading their feet on the perch. Presumably it’s done to clean their feet.<\/p>\n From the description it sounds like it might resemble a Native American dance. Wouldn’t that be fun to witness and to photograph!<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I wish I had as many opportunities with Merlins as I do with their slightly smaller cousins, the more common American Kestrels.<\/p>\n