Montana Merlin

Earlier his month I had two encounters with a Merlin on consecutive early mornings at almost the same location in the Centennial Valley of Montana. These images were taken the first morning.

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An Interesting Observation About Falcon Behavior

I’ve noticed an apparent behavioral quirk in some of the falcon species I’ve photographed and it’s tweaked my curiosity a bit.  I’ve seen it most often in Prairie Falcons but that’s most likely because I get more opportunities with that species than I do any other of the large falcons.   More often than not the Prairie Falcon holds its wings up or out (or both) for a few moments before it takes off.  Sometimes the posture is maintained for quite a while.  This is one of the better shots I have of it.  Most of the photos to follow have reduced image quality but I include them to document the behavior.     This bird held the posture for so long that I filled my buffer twice before it actually took off.     Most often I’ve seen it prior to take-off from an elevated perch like this one but it also happens occasionally when they take off from the ground.     Another Prairie Falcon showing the posture.     I don’t see it nearly as often with the American Kestrel as I do with larger falcons.  Perhaps that has to do with the relative ease of take-off for this diminutive falcon.     I get few opportunities with Merlins but I’ve noticed it occasionally with this species also. I’m not sure if Peregrine Falcons do it.  Usually when I’ve been close enough to photograph peregrines they’ve been on prey on the ground and they may be less likely to show the behavior when taking off from a…

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