Adult Peregrine Falcon in flight with a sandstone background – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
You just never know what birds you will find until you get out into the field, whether that is close to home or on a trip further away. I’m in southern Utah now and yesterday what I didn’t expect to find, I did.
I was looking for birds in a marshy area in Wayne County and photographed some ducks lifting off from a small pond, there were Northern Pintails, Mallards, Green-winged and Cinnamon Teals and few American Wigeons mixed in. I had hoped they would settle back onto the same pond but they didn’t. Not much further down the road a shape on a fence post caught my eye and I knew without any doubt that I was seeing a falcon! When I brought my lens up and focused on the bird I could tell it was a Peregrine.
I was able to get a nice series of the falcon perched on the fence post. The falcon must have been watching the ducks feeding on the pond and may have been scoping them out hoping to catch one for dinner. But then it took off and I was able to photograph this Peregrine Falcon in flight in front of a brightly colored sandstone cliff face with the light of the setting sun on it. I was delighted.
Sandstone Cliff Face, Wayne County, Utah- Nikon D810, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
I was only able to get two sharp images of the Peregrine Falcon after it took off from its perch and then I lost focus on the bird and my camera focused on the cliff face instead. So by error I am able to share an image of the cliff face that was behind the falcon when I photographed it and it also shows the very out of focus falcon in the upper right hand of the frame.
I hope to find more birds to share from southern Utah.
Life is good. 🙂
Mia
Click here to see more of my Peregrine Falcon photos plus facts and information about this species.
Hi! Wow! love the photo’s!! They are great! I see your having good weather on your trip! Have a wonderful day shooting! It was 85* in Norfolk and here 83* or more yesterday! It is to be cooler today Have a special day today shooting!
Thank you all for your kind (and humorous) comments, they are much appreciated.
Both great images. I love southern Utah and will be visiting the Moab area soon. 🙂
Amazing colours.
Echoing Patty (again) about the second shot.
She has a really bad and unhygenic habit of taking the words out of my mouth. First.
I keep hoping for gum!!!
I would love to be together with you two in the same location, I am sure we would all laugh so hard our sides would ache!
I find the second shot interesting because it shows what the falcon probably sees. Looks like an aerial shot, taken from really high up.
Wow, gorgeous. I like the second one, too. Not that I’d hang it on my wall, but that cliff wall is beautiful, and it fleshes out the “story” from the first photo. Wild and fierce creatures.
Wow, gorgeous. I like the second one, too. Not that I’d hang it on my wall, but that cliff wall is beautiful, and it fleshes out the “story” from the first photo. Wild and fierce creatures.
You nailed the first one, and what happened in the second shot has happened to all of us who try to photograph birds in flight.
Missing a shot once in awhile, just makes our successes all the more sweet… All in all you should be very proud of your images.
Keep having fun Mia, because that is what this game is all about… ;-)))
Beautiful images, Mia.
Thanks Bob!