A Peregrine Falcon And A Frozen Coot

Yesterday morning went from bust to boom at the very last minute possible.

Our bird photography location of choice was Farmington Bay WMA but as we got closer to it on the freeway it looked like it would be socked in with fog so we tucked our tails between our legs, turned around and headed back home. In a last-minute attempt to salvage the morning we decided to try another location but that also turned out to be a bust so we stowed our cameras in our lens caddies and turned around to leave the area, thoroughly defeated and discouraged.

But seconds before I turned onto a busy road and picked up speed a Peregrine Falcon saved our bacon.

 

1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

I believe it to be an adult female and she was sitting motionless in the grass. It was only a few minutes after the sun came up over the nearby mountains but they were shrouded in heavy clouds so the light was atrocious. But hey, I’ll photograph a Peregrine no matter the conditions.

 

 

1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

Eventually she began creeping stealthily through the heavily frosted grass but at first I had no idea why she was being so sneaky about it.

 

 

1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

The first hint I got was a slightly dark spot in the grass that was almost hidden from my view by the slope of the terrain slightly away from me. She was very interested in that dark spot and when she arrived there she…

 

 

1/640, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

hooked her talons over whatever was responsible for the spot and claimed her prize. I strongly suspect it had been her kill the previous evening.

 

 

1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

It turned out to be a dead, frozen coot that had already been partially consumed. Here we can see the stump of the de-feathered and headless neck beneath her raised foot. I always enjoy seeing those huge falcon feet.

 

 

1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

The coot had apparently been partially stuck to the frozen ground and she struggled to get it unstuck and on top of the grass where she could better deal with it. Here we can see those lobed toes that clearly identify the carcass as that of a coot.

 

 

1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

When the coot was finally free and laying on top of the grass she raised her wings in triumph and then…

 

 

1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

began to feed.

 

 

1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

Because the coot was frozen she had difficulty pulling off large chunks of meat so she had to settle for little bits at a time.

 

 

1/500, f/6.3, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

By the time this shot was taken I’d moved my pickup a little which gave me slightly better light, a different background and put me slightly closer to the falcon. I love the direct stare and intense eye contact of this pose.

 

 

1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

Sometimes the feathers went flying as she fed.

One of the wings had already been detached from the coot and I believe its tip sticking up and poking her in the butt as she fed bothered her a little so she…

 

 

1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

picked the rest of the carcass up in one foot and moved it forward to get it further away from the bothersome wing.

For this photo and all the rest below I’d removed my teleconverter to give me a little more wiggle room for her raised wings in case she took off.

 

 

1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

At times I was surprised by how many feathers she gobbled down. Usually she discarded them but several times she just swallowed big gobs of them.

 

 

1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 1000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

Typically I wouldn’t include a shot like this because her feeding mouth is partially obscured but in this case I like seeing those coot feet again. Usually they were hidden from view.

 

 

1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 1000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

She fed for quite a while before she eventually slowed down. Here’s she’s looking around as if to see if anyone’s watching before she…

 

 

1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 1000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

raised her tail and pooped. Typically I don’t include poop shots in my posts but I adore this one. It might be my favorite poop shot of all time.

 

 

1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 1000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

Eventually she crouched extremely low in the grass as if she was trying to hide in it as best she could.

Any guesses as to what she’s doing and why?

 

 

1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 1000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

She was crouching as low as she possibly could in order to get all the push she could from her legs for takeoff. After all she’d eaten her fill of coot so she had an extra load to carry as is evidenced by her bulging crop.

At this point I was glad I’d already removed my teleconverter or I’d surely have clipped or cut off her wings.

 

 

1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 1000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

This was the last decent photo I got as she left. I didn’t have enough depth of field for the wings in this position but I thought it was interesting how the wingtip of the coot apparently passed between two of her toes on her right foot as she lifted off.

It’s funny how a single cooperative and very special last-minute bird can instantly transform my mood from near-depression (that description is only slightly hyperbolic) to one of elation that lasts the entire day. I’d probably have been absolutely giddy if the light had been better.

And I wasn’t through with this bird yet but those photos will have to wait for another day. Nineteen images in a single post is already pushing the limits on several fronts including server load and reader patience and stamina.

Ron

 

62 Comments

  1. Wonderful sequence – really enjoyed it and your writing so much (as usual). And regarding “…but I adore this one. It might be my favorite poop shot of all time.” HAHAHHAHA! That really made me giggle. 🙂

  2. Heavens! What an impressive series of a very impressive creature! WOW! There is no planet B… we have so many beautiful things, I wish we’d take of them more

  3. Charlotte Norton

    Sensational behavioral series Ron! She saved the day in a big way,

    Charlotte

  4. Ron. You also have a great catch light on the poop shot. And she looks satisfied—sort of like humans…LOL. lI love to watch the raptors I feed slice. Thanks for including the shot. Diana

  5. She SWALLOWED THE FEATHERS!!! Erp…I never expected that. Thank you for sharing this. Worthy of Fearful from My side of the Mountain!

  6. Late to the party, Ron, but what a spectacular series! The intensity of the stare-down is simply bone-chilling, and the feather detail in the launch shot is fantastic. Thanks for a wonderful series!

  7. Holy mackrel! What a gorgeous series! I do love Peregrines, they are such stunning birds. We had a pair (young I think, and not mated, maybe siblings,) around our office building in South Jordan a couple years ago. The pigeon population decreased rapidly, but the best feather storm was one that nabbed a seagull, and was on the 5th floor roof making a meal. It looked like it was snowing =)
    Beautiful shots, and I love that you were able to get so many that fully illustrate a story. I love the crouching photo. I’m curious, was she smashing the remaining carcass into the grass in the process? Maybe it was a double duty hide the dinner/get some lift crouch?

    • Loved your “snowstorm” story, Philina. It would be wonderful to be able to watch Peregrines from an office building while you’re supposed to be working! 🙂

      No, the carcass wasn’t beneath the falcon when she took off.

  8. Ron, I’m glad that you didn’t ‘go home empty handed’ for your sake and ours. Great shots of a beautiful bird and enjoyed your commentary. Birds don’t have an easy life, do they!! The coot must have thought that as it was ‘being taken down’!!

  9. Beautitful photos!! Thanks

  10. This camera geek noticed the ISO 1250, a territory you rarely approach, but the story and images were well worth the compromise.

  11. Wow! Stunningly beautiful specimen! Love these shots! Thank you for sharing…

  12. Kent Patrick-Riley

    Stunning.

  13. That was a wonderful turn of events! Great narrative and beautiful series!

  14. All I can say is “FABULOUS!”

    & Again, thank you for sharing.

  15. Brilliant series. And bonus britches.
    And that poop shot? I am still smiling thinking of Monty Python. A variation on ‘I fart in your general directin’.

  16. The best! And a PEFA to boot! Made my day, too. Thank you Mr Dudley!

  17. Wow, beautiful! What a fantastic find! I hope you see her again. I adore the head on shot. Although the light was poor again the colors match the bird.

  18. Wow! Oh, you don’t have to worry about reader patience and stamina. Thanks for the show.

  19. Incredible images, Ron! I love the entire series, though I fear the thirteenth image may cause nightmares of eating my own pillow.
    Perhaps she’s skulking low to the ground knowing the poop police are closing in because she failed to bag it?
    Thanks for your remarkable work!

  20. A wonderful, wonderful series!!! I esp. like the last—showing those terrible talons….looking at that frosty grass, guessing your poor fingers (and nose) must have been intensely, painfully cold….cold as hell here now…and windy…

    • Patty, my fingers got incredibly cold during my 55 minutes with this bird. Eventually I put a glove on my left hand but of course I needed my unencumbered fingers on my right hand to operate my camera so those fingers were numb and painful. After I got home it took them almost an hour to return to normal and have feeling in the tips again.

      But for this bird it was worth it!

  21. OK, insert the string of ridiculously redundant superlatives here! Just WOW! What a stroke of good luck proving once again that Karma works! 🙂
    All of these shots are spectacular (oh yes they are–put your nit-picking self over in the corner!). My favorite is the one where she’s staring right at you. I’m constantly reminded that just because I can’t see the birds does NOT mean they can’t see me, and with that eyesight, we’re way closer than we think!
    What a spectacular peregrine. Now there’s the height of redundancy! Makes me want to break out in song…”Oh what a beautiful morning. Oh what a beautiful day…”
    Once again, thank you for everything you do!

    • Thanks for the ear worm, Laura! 🙂

      Yes, in watching birds carefully I’m constantly reminded of how much better they can see than we can. Combined with their speed that’s an incredibly effective combination for many of their activities.

      • Ron, if the reincarnation thing turns out to be a thing, I want to come back as a hawk, falcon or eagle. Seriously, I want to see the world from their perspective. And I’d like to be able to see things in general, even if I have to eat voles…LOL!

  22. Thanks for such a powerful, beautiful series of images………what a way to start my day ! With a post like today’s, I’m grateful and aware, yet again, of all your years of focused ( ha ! no pun intended)
    skill building and willingness to go out in the cold and dark and freeze your butts off and then be generous enough to share the results every day, free, with all of us !

  23. What a spectacular sequence Ron. Thank you so much for sharing.

  24. I don’t care about light… it’s absolutely astounding!!! You are one lucky coot .!!!!! I would be absolutely doing leapfrogs with this!!!

  25. WOW! What a series! It surely would have made my day! Beautiful bird!

  26. Outstanding series! Looking forward to seeing the remaining shots. And yes, that is the poop shot to end all poop shots! 😉 (Hey, it’s Nature, right? Poop’s gonna happen.) Poor little cootsicle, although it’s nice to see a well-fed falcon. And pantaloons! 😉

  27. Excellent series. The poop shot is a good one. Lol.

  28. Oh pooh, 19 images, I’ll take 24, or 36 as many of these as you want throw at us! Fantastic shots, Ron, and I’m with you about the talons, those are fierce weapons! I’m just glad we are not prey!

  29. Great shots, patience, and anticipation for possible upcoming movement (removing the teleconverter).

    • Sometimes my timing in swapping out my tc works and sometimes it doesn’t, Ron. Can’t tell you how many times something interesting has happened while I was in the swapping process.

  30. One of your best series yet.

  31. Such a gorgeous bird, especially against the wintry backdrop! You definitely made the most of the limited light, these photos are beautiful!

  32. The peregrine is gorgeous in the all white, snowy background despite the lack of light. What a great series – thanks for your wonderful commentary. I feel like I am in the truck with you watching it all.

  33. Ron: Kowabunga! Beautiful shots plus a story I enjoyed. Thank you!

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