Yesterday was a day I won’t soon forget as I saw and photographed a Gyrfalcon here in Utah. The Utah Bird Records Committee has accepted only six previous records of Gyrfalcons in Utah and the most recent one was in 2001.
Most of the time the falcon was far away (it only took up about 2/3 of the central focusing point on my lens while it was perched on the mud) and it was usually side/back lit so I was happy just to get some shots of it that were good enough for ID. Friend and respected raptor authority Jerry Liguori identified the bird as a juvenile gray morph Gyrfalcon (it appears brown instead of gray because it’s a juvenile).
The Gyr spent most of its time far out on the mud flats along the south side of the Antelope Island causeway so the nearest shots I got of the bird was when it was heading for its far-away perch on the mud (this image) or after it took off in the direction of Fremont Island (previous image).
I actually laid awake last night thinking of what could have been. When I first spotted the bird it was hunting along the causeway as I was driving. It had apparently come up behind me and to the side and was only about 150-200′ above and slightly to the side of my pickup (I could see it through the top right corner of my windshield). At first I wasn’t sure what large falcon species I was seeing but when Mia was eventually able to see it she was quite confident that it was a Gyrfalcon (her ID skills are better than mine). If I had simply stopped and hopped out of my pickup with my camera and lens I may have been able to get a few frame-filling shots of the bird in flight. But I attempted to turn around for the bird and by then it had high-tailed it.
The only other Gyrfalcon I’ve ever seen or photographed was a falconry escapee. This bird had no jesses and I couldn’t see any bands in any of my images so I believe it to be a wild bird.
I hope it hangs around the causeway for a while so that many folks can see it. I know that bird made my day and I suspect it would do the same for others.
Ron
Gyr is a real heart-stopper, isn’t it! Congratulations on getting the flight shots!
I was lucky enough o see the grey-morph Gyrfalcon that’s been hanging out in Wallkill NY — spent almost 2 hours watching it tear a Mallard apart, completely indifferent to the throng of admirers.
Great sighting Ron! At some point on each one of the raptor surveys I’ve been on this ridiculously warm winter someone has said in a resigned tone “I guess we can forget about a Gyr this year…” !!!!!!! So glad it was you and Mia. Nobody makes their own luck like you two!
Ron – Congratulations on getting a (non-escapee) Gyr in the wild. What a thrill. I am also held to my only sighting of a Gyrfalcon being one that escaped from a falconer. I was privileged to see this magnificent bird outside of the cage it had lived it’s life in, hunting and surviving in the wild. It took up residence at a local shopping mall that had an abundance of pigeons on the parking lot. The Gyr was usually found on a light post watching the flock on the ground.
I hope that you have opportunity to see it again and capture the images that you want. I think you got good shots, I also saw immediately that it was a Gyr. AWESOME!!!
Ron, I enjoy your blog every time it comes out. This one is especially interesting because I think I may have photographed the same Falcon last weekend along the causeway on a rock, about a mile west of the gate. The shots were quite good and include a Harrier attacking the Falcon…turned out to be a bluffing tactic, not a nice encounter sequence anyway. If you would like to see these pictures to help in identifying the Gyrfalcon here, as a sighting in Utah, please send me an address to e-mail them. In the meantime, keep up the good work, we all learn so much from you. Jer
Jerry, Yes, I’d like to see them. I’ll send you an email address. And thank you.
These photos are good enough that I can tell it is an absolutely gorgeous one. I’m glad you had the good fortune to see this one, and that Jerry could confirm the ID. I think seeing this bird might make up for some of the ‘bad’ days you’ve had with photography?
“I think seeing this bird might make up for some of the ‘bad’ days you’ve had with photography?”
Absolutely, Susan. It takes the smell of “skunk” out of many of such days!
Ron, like the falcon’s reflection shot especially. Congratulations. I hope your “high” lasts forever, but with sleep of course.
Thanks, Dianne. I just woke up from a nap so now I’m caught up again…
I saw a reference to this sighting by you on my Twitter feed last night, so I knew we were in for something big this morning! Amazing-looking raptor and how terrific that it let you know it was there so you could get some shots, no matter how distant. Thanks for the images and info, Ron. Another raptor to add to my “someday” list. [sigh]
Thanks very much, Chris. I didn’t know it had been reported on Twitter but Hawkwatch International probably has an account. Good luck on your “someday list”!
Wowsers! That is amazing! Not only are the images terrific given the challenges, but you can prove your sighting.
Great work, Ron!
Cheers,
Gail
“you can prove your sighting”
I’ve reported it to the records committee, Gail. I hope they accept the sighting.
Congratulations to you and Mia! Such a gorgeous falcon…
Thank you, Susan.
Very happy for you! I know what a thrill this is as we are experiencing an invasion of Gyrfalcons in the northeast, and I have just seen my first one! Awesome.
Congrats, Riverbirder! And thank you.
Awesome!! How exciting for you!!!
Thanks, Leisa.
And no jesses!!!! The only tme I ever get to see one of theses magnificent creatures is my falconer friend’s bird….with jesses. I’m so glad for you!!! Very, very exciting……
Thank you, Patty. Not having jesses makes it so much more special for me.
GYR00 is my trucks number plate! Saw my life Gyrfalcon in 2000! It was a dark phase Gyrfalcon, an exciting, heart thumping period in my life, so I can imagine how you felt!
Felt very similar, couldn’t sleep, got up early and went back the next day and was lucky enough to see the Gyr again with many other birders. A beautiful majestic bird!
Thanks for the post and rekindling my memories.
Yep, you know the feeling, Dick. We (and many others) went out looking for our bird this morning but no luck so far. I’m glad you were able to see yours a second time.
So awesome. I could imagine your excitement! As a young girl I saw a Snowy Owl. It was in north Louisiana and caused quite a stir. I remember my mother waking us up to go see it in our neighbors yard. 🙂
I’ll bet a Snowy in Louisiana WOULD cause quite a stir, Arwen. Something you’ll never forget, I’m sure.
OMG, what else can you say? There was one here in Ann Arbor a couple of years ago, just sitting in a pine tree in an apartment complex. A lucky birder with an Iphone happened to pass by and get the shot. How’s that for serendipity?
Serendipity’s a good thing, April and I certainly had some yesterday. Thank you.
Neat to see a Gyrfalcon Ron and get some photos of it. I saw the report in Utah Birds and I could not believe it at first. Oh yes, one of the biggest challenges in bird photography…. how to get out of the truck quick enough to get the fast flying bird in the field of view 🙂 (happens to me all too frequently).
“one of the biggest challenges in bird photography…. how to get out of the truck quick enough to get the fast flying bird in the field of view”
Exactly, Ed. Exactly!
Ron, thanx for all of the info. I was able to spend 1 evening and morning/afternoon at Farmington Bay and Antelope island. Not nearly enough time for such a productive place. I will have to come back. Too bad about the bald eagles being so far away from the waterfowl refuge. I did see plenty of dead carp, though. Hope that your winter comes back.
Cheers, Rich
“Hope that your winter comes back.”
I hope it does too, Richard – time is running short though.
Wonderful. I am making up a hope list for Montana in a couple of weeks, and I will be looking for this species.
Good luck with your “hope list”, Kathy – particularly for the Gyr!