I’ve seen far more American Pipits migrating through northern Utah this fall than I’ve ever seen before. I hope that’s a sign they had a highly successful breeding season up north this past summer.
Falcons tend to have long toes but I thought those of this Merlin in flight (2nd image) were especially well seen. Merlins are bird-hunting specialists and they often snag their quarry right out of the air in flight so the bigger “net” they can throw the better.