Back in November I blogged about my encounter with a Prairie Falcon and its Northern Shoveler prey. I thought that some of the images I didn’t use back then were worthy of another post.
This falcon struck the duck on the water, then waited for it to die and to be washed up onto shore.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in
It attempted to enjoy its meal at the water’s edge but waves kept coming in and “rocking the boat”…
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in
so the falcon decided to drag the shoveler further up the rocky shore and away from the annoying waves.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in
It wasn’t an easy task. Average weight for Northern Shovelers is almost as much as it is for Prairie Falcons (1.3 vs 1.6 lbs) so the falcon really struggled in its attempt to drag the duck to a more suitable dining area.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in
I thought this was an interesting shot with the wings up, the left foot off the ground and direct eye contact.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in
Finally the falcon was satisfied with the placement of the shoveler on the shore and began to enjoy its meal.
Soon after this shot was taken the clouds moved in and the light went bad so I left the bird to enjoy the rest of its meal in peace. But this falcon had allowed me 44 minutes of photographers bliss, for which I’ll always be grateful.
Ron
An amazing sequence. Did the falcon learn from experience, or from observation? And is it a skill which it will be able to pass down to its own offspring? I hope so. You mentioned 44 minutes of photographer’s bliss. When viewers bliss is added in, this bird made a lot of people happy for quite a long time.
I’m envious of this encounter Ron. I have a question. Did the falcon hit the shoveler on the water? This intrigues me. Obviously the falcon is not large or strong enough to take the duck from the water, so the behavior you describe sounds rather cunning. I love hearing about behaviors, especially in birds of prey.
Yes, it did Bryce and I watched it happen. The falcon made no attempt to retrieve the duck from the water. It simply watched and waited until the shoveler washed ashore. I’ve included photos of the duck out on the water (after the attack but before it died) in the previous post I made on this encounter (link at the beginning of this post). I strongly suspect that this falcon has used this strategy before.
Ron, it’s posts like this which illustrate why birds often have an eye turned to the sky. They ignore the wild blue yonder at their peril … and to the falcon’s gain. What a scene to come upon and document.
You’re exactly right, Ingrid. Most birds watch the sky very carefully.
Gorgeous photos of a gorgeous bird. We got to watch one that had killed a great-tailed grackle across the street (my husband saw the kill happen). It was wonderful to be able to watch such a beautiful bird. Thanks for the great photos.
Susan, I think witnessing something like that is something very special. This encounter was one I won’t soon forget.