Peregrine Dive

[ssheipel]

Qute literally one of the last shots of the day; got four bursts of shots of this bird. Was packing up to walk back to the car with the sounds of what I thought was a gull squabble and then something clicked and I realized I also heard a bird of prey -- this Peregrine Falcon was trying to breakfast on one of the gulls. He was unsuccessful. In identifying him later I learned their diet consists almost entirely of other birds that they catch in flight. Their dive speed makes them the fastest animal on Earth. By the time I got to a spot where I could get him and the gulls in any sort of useable shot (this shot is cropped considerably) he'd given up and left (presumable in search of birds less adept at flying than gulls ).

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[sh1209]

Very nice shot!

 

[Woody Meristem]

Great catch on the speedster. That's a juvenile, which probably accounts for why it didn't get a meal of gull; peregrines usually prey on birds the size of a pigeon or blue jay, gulls are a little large for them but not impossible.

 

[Ralph]

Qute literally one of the last shots of the day; got four bursts of shots of this bird. Was packing up to walk back to the car with the sounds of what I thought was a gull squabble and then something clicked and I realized I also heard a bird of prey -- this Peregrine Falcon was trying to breakfast on one of the gulls. He was unsuccessful. In identifying him later I learned their diet consists almost entirely of other birds that they catch in flight. Their dive speed makes them the fastest animal on Earth. By the time I got to a spot where I could get him and the gulls in any sort of useable shot (this shot is cropped considerably) he'd given up and left (presumable in search of birds less adept at flying than gulls ).
View attachment 50022

Excellent shot Steven! Well done

 

[Rick S]

Great catch and shot.

 

[MikeJ]

Awesome image, Steven!

 

[ssheipel]

Very nice shot!

Thanks much, Steve!

 

[ssheipel]

Great catch on the speedster. That's a juvenile, which probably accounts for why it didn't get a meal of gull; peregrines usually prey on birds the size of a pigeon or blue jay, gulls are a little large for them but not impossible.

Thanks, Woody. And for the extra intel. One info site said they're also known as Duck Hawks ('cause they eat them ).

 

[ssheipel]

Excellent shot Steven! Well done

Thanks Ralph, appreciate it!

 

[ssheipel]

Great catch and shot.

Thanks much, Rick.

 

[NorthernFocus]

Nicely done. Never had the opportunity to see one in my viewfinder

 

[ssheipel]

Awesome image, Steven!

Thanks Mike!

 

[Charles Loy]

That is a true WOWZER photo. Fantastic!!

 

[MalcolmP]

Great capture and interesting research. What speed were you shooting?

 

[ssheipel]

Nicely done. Never had the opportunity to see one in my viewfinder

Thanks much, Dan. I was trying to stay calm when I realized I had a bird of prey actually hunting in front of me While still thinking and positioning myself and trying to figure out where he was going to be I got to see (not through viewfinder) one of those classic feet out in front of the bird postures as he went for his breakfast. Amazing. Next time!

 

[ssheipel]

That is a true WOWZER photo. Fantastic!!

Thanks Charles. Sadly I'm thinking too cropped to print well (am out of a couple ink cartridges so the test will have to wait), but am loving it digitally

 

[Woody Meristem]

One info site said they're also known as Duck Hawks

Yeah, that was their "official" common name, it was changed by the American Ornithological Union about the same time (the 1970s as I recall) that they changed some other birds' names -- what had been called the sparrow hawk was renamed kestrel, the pigeon hawk was renamed the merlin, and the marsh hawk became the harrier.

 

[ssheipel]

Great capture and interesting research. What speed were you shooting?

Thanks Malcolm. Not sure why the data isn't displayed. 1/2500; iso under 600 (I've since forgotten since I checked LOL). AF auto large; animal detect.

 

[Replytoken]

Wow, they are usually a blur when I see them, let alone put a viewfinder up to my eye. Nice shooting!

--Ken

 

[mbunak]

Qute literally one of the last shots of the day; got four bursts of shots of this bird. Was packing up to walk back to the car with the sounds of what I thought was a gull squabble and then something clicked and I realized I also heard a bird of prey -- this Peregrine Falcon was trying to breakfast on one of the gulls. He was unsuccessful. In identifying him later I learned their diet consists almost entirely of other birds that they catch in flight. Their dive speed makes them the fastest animal on Earth. By the time I got to a spot where I could get him and the gulls in any sort of useable shot (this shot is cropped considerably) he'd given up and left (presumable in search of birds less adept at flying than gulls ).
View attachment 50022

Cool shot!

 

[ssheipel]

Yeah, that was their "official" common name, it was changed by the American Ornithological Union about the same time (the 1970s as I recall) that they changed some other birds' names -- what had been called the sparrow hawk was renamed kestrel, the pigeon hawk was renamed the merlin, and the marsh hawk became the harrier.

Thanks for that background! I remember the names sparrow hawk and pigeon hawk, but not duck hawk. I'm liking the 'new' names

 

[ssheipel]

Wow, they are usually a blur when I see them, let alone put a viewfinder up to my eye. Nice shooting!

--Ken

Thanks Ken. Got a shot of him hanging in the wind for a moment, as well. Also overly cropped.

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[Replytoken]

Thanks Ken. Got a shot of him hanging in the wind for a moment, as well. Also overly cropped.View attachment 50122

They are beautiful in flight. I work in a very tall skyscraper and they used to perch on a large railing on an adjacent floor near the top of the building. They were not quite as majestic sitting there, but it was fun to watch them fly from our building where they liked to hang out to a nearby skyscraper where they had their nests.

--Ken

 

[ssheipel]

Cool shot!

Thank you!

 

[ssheipel]

They are beautiful in flight. I work in a very tall skyscraper and they used to perch on a large railing on an adjacent floor near the top of the building. They were not quite as majestic sitting there, but it was fun to watch them fly from our building where they liked to hang out to a nearby skyscraper where they had their nests.

--Ken

Nice office view you had! There were fledglings photographed (and videotaped) leaving the nest and taking their first dive of the building here in Toronto recently. So they do next in and around this city but most are found well north of here, so very happy to have seen and got a shot of this one! Cheers.