I’m quite excited about this news from HWI.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, 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 photographed this Merlin on September 12, 2015 in southwest Montana and I believe it’s a female of the prairie subspecies (Falco columbarius richardsonii). As some buteos and falcons often do she assumed this foot-raised pose and held it for some time. In my experience it’s a behavior sometimes associated with grooming/preening but this time it took her quite a while to get around to any grooming at all. Eventually she did groom her upper leg where it attaches to her body but she never did do anything with either her lower leg or her foot. I think she just felt comfortable in this pose.
I chose to post a Merlin this morning for a reason.
Regular readers are familiar with HawkWatch International, an organization based right here in Salt Lake City and dedicated to the worldwide conservation of raptors and our shared environment. Largely because of their research involving the conservation of raptors I’m a huge fan of HWI so I’ve plugged them several times here on Feathered Photography and I’ve even included a graphic at the bottom of the right hand column of my blog that links to their web page. Education of the public about the values of raptors is a large part of their mission so they have a variety of education birds (they often refer to them as ambassadors) that they use in classes and other venues. Our very own Galileo (the Short-eared Owl that Mia and I rescued off of barbed wire) is one of them.
Two days ago I learned that HWI is very excited about a new ambassador, a rescue male Merlin. This new falcon joins Alaska (Swainson’s Hawk), Artemis (Western Screech Owl), Amyra (another Swainson’s Hawk), Calurus (Red-tailed Hawk), Goose (Peregrine Falcon), Kotori (Great Horned Owl), Yaki (American Kestrel) and of course Galileo to round out their stable of education birds. As far as I know the new Merlin doesn’t have a name yet but I have a standing invitation to go down and meet him which I hope to do very soon. If you have the interest you can meet HWI’s education birds by following this link.
HWI’s annual Wings Across the West fundraiser is approaching fast (April 20) so I want to give it a plug and to report some other news of the “warm fuzzy” variety (at least it is to me). I recently learned that some of my readers from around the country have been donating to HWI and that warms the cockles of my heart.
Feathered Photography readers are the best!
Ron
PS – I suppose I should mention that I try to support HWI in every way I can. One of the ways I do that is by donating prints to their silent auction held during their Wings Across the West fundraiser. Last year it was a Burrowing Owl print.
This year it’s a 16×20 print of this Golden Eagle image (readers of my blog have seen it before). I thought a print of this photo would be particularly appropriate because of the ongoing research HWI does with Golden Eagles. The folks at Hawkwatch agree.
Addendum: Reader, HWI volunteer and good friend Tana Peery Hunter has informed me on Facebook of the following update regarding the status of HWI’s education birds – “Jack is beautiful, Ron. He can’t fly and is in Yaki’s old bird cage as sadly we lost both Yaki and Alaska last year. Yaki was 15 and Alaska was 25 or there about.”
If you’re active on FB a photo of Jack can be seen here.
I’m happy to support this outfit any way I can. For starters, I’ll post their fundraiser on my Facebook page.
Good! Thank you, Martha.
Great picture of the Merlin — such a delicate yet strong bird. I can definitely see the attraction for those medieval women. Glad the injured Merlin has found a forever home with HWI. Sorry to learn about Yaki and Alaska and hoping they were able to teach the next generation of their importance.
I wish I were able to bid on the Golden print! You are so generous, Ron! 🙂
Spent some time this afternoon with what appeared to be a Black Phoebe in my yard. I think I’ve been listening to it (I still get a lot of songs/calls confused), but had yet to see it.
Thanks, Marty. I’m jealous of your Black Phoebe. I’ve never even seen one much less photographed one. A FB friend who lives in San Diego encounters them fairly often.
It’s thanks to your blog that I’ve really tried to notice the little feathered guys. 🙂
🙂
Lovely photo. I have been seeing more merlins this past year than all my years added up. Maybe I am just seeing the same bird?
Thank you Ron for all your support to conservation and rehabilitation organizations.
And thank you for your long-time work in rehab, April. And your daughter too.
LOVE, LOVE ,LOVE that Golden!!!! (And having power back….much sooner than ecpected, too!!!!)
I figured you might recognize that Golden photo, Patty… 🙂
Saw my first Merlin this year at Hagerman NWR. He/She had just captured a Mockingbird. First time I have ever been able to photograph a Raptors meal from beginning to end. Sad this bird can’t fly and live out it’s life in the wild, but thank goodness there are Sanctuaries and Rescue facilities like HWI. I love the idea of the Merlin (the lady’s falcon) being an Ambassador. Thanks for the post Ron.
Ahh, you remember the Merlin being the “lady’s falcon” in medieval times, James. I thought of that too while I was doing this post.
I hate that we need Ambassadors, I hate that our actions so often create them, and love that a sheltered safe life can be made for them.
Huge thanks to all those the world over who work in rehab.
That’s exactly my feeling EC! But I’ve seen how big an impact they make to people who’ve never seen anything outside their human world. I truly loved working educational programs, especially with kids!
And I’m glad you’re back, too!
Rehabbers are heroes in my book, EC. It takes a special kind of person…
Excellent post Ron! Sorry about the two loses, but very impressed with HWI!
Raptors have been few this winter compared to the past 5 years. I have a feeling that the Red-tail that we used to see here regularly has probably met its maker. We’ll see if another takes over its hunting territory.
Just got through a gale and little snow, but where we used to live on the coast was very hard hit, 75-85 mph winds, they expect power to be out til middle of week.
Our raptors have generally been slow this winter too, Dick. A little worried…
I’m with you, Ron! Having volunteered my time for years in raptor education programs (On The Wing Again, Dallas, TX), I know how vital it is to support education. People don’t care about what they don’t know or experience, and seeing these birds up close and personal makes a huge impact. I’ve donated to HWI regularly over the years.
And there’s a print I’d love to have on my wall!!
As for the Merlin, I’m sorry he’s joined the ranks of ambassadors for the wild world, but at the same time, I’m also delighted.
BTW, I’m CERTAIN there’s an ancient falconry word for that pose–there’s a word for everything else in ancient falconry language, however, I haven’t yet found it. Often, they’ll stretch the raised foot before putting it down again. Another one of those raptor mysteries 😉
I have mixed feelings about that Merlin too, Laura. But I’m sure glad that at this point he’ll be allowed a pampered life at Hawkwatch.
A pampered life is exactly it! He’ll never be hungry again. But I really love it when Merlins make those huge flocks of starlings do their murmuration thing. That makes me smile 😉
Perhaps the Merlin was deciding if you were “safe” before doing any grooming? Gorgeous Golden! Hats off to you for contributing in this way! 🙂 Sad to lose the “old timers” – wonderful they can live that long even if not in their natural environment and help educated people about them. Of course, tragedy has to strike to replace them which no one wants. 🙁 Snowing again here…………. From Marina’s comments wind must be a feature for you at the moment?
Thanks, Judy. Nope, our wind event associated with this VERY slow-moving storm is over but it’s been snowing since about midnight and it’s still coming down. Marina is southeast of me by several hundred miles.
Beautiful choice … love the picture.. photographed a Merlin before camera issues plucking a poor bluebird …. hope your house is still in one peice .. how do birds survive this wind???? I have a trampoline in my round pen???? Flew in from somewhere ..
Thanks, Marina. Yes, that wind was something else. Sounds like the preface to our storm has reached you in CO now!