Peregrine's Big Meal

Hope everyone had a joyful and safe Christmas. Going for a walk on the Pole Trail yesterday turned into another "wild side" photo shoot. It is always sad to see that one of the lagoon birds has been taken as prey but this is nature and survival is what it is all about. Yesterday it was the Peregrine Falcon getting a great full holiday meal... surviving and thriving at our beautiful Lagoon.

December 24, 2014 

Deciding to check out the Pole Road Trail again today... spotting a Peregrine Falcon on the third pole eating something. I hurried to get a closer look. Here is a look at the Peregrine busy stripping meat off a bone.  As an observer, I am always interested in what kind of prey is being consumed.

Loving every bite.

The Peregrine picks up a leg that has been picked clean of meat. Only the lobes and the lower leg are left.

He picks up the leg and discards it off the side.

Watches it fall to the ground...

Looks like he found a few more bites on the other leg...

As he alerts to something east of us, we get a good look at his messy beak. He soon flies off heading south.

Searching the base of the telephone pole to see if there are any clues as to what the lobed foot belonged to, I find a severed head of an Eared Grebe. I'm always sad to see one of our visitors to the Lagoon get taken as prey but the Peregrine is well fed. It is nature and there is always life and death for each one of the animals. The goal of every day is to survive another.

Found the wing. Nothing will go to waste at the lagoon. These leftovers will probably be taken later by the crows or maybe even by coyotes.

Heading towards home, I find the Peregrine perched on the second telephone pole past the pumphouse. He looks happy and full. Look at the size of his crop!

As I approach the pumphouse, I see the Great Blue Heron at the base of the train track bank... He looks very full, too!

A raised pair of wings on a hunting Great Egret usually signals a catch. He has struck out at a prey and uses his wings to balance the forward motion.

Got one! I keep walking towards the peninsula trail noticing that the tide is coming up. Maybe I can spot the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow again...

Walking out to the end of the Peninsula trail... all I could find was a cute little first winter White-crowned Sparrow.

Close -up.

The "Queen of Rios" our resident female Northern Harrier has just landed on one of her favorite posts by the trail.

She has been calling out for quite a while now. I saw another female Northern Harrier earlier, maybe she is warning her off.

  

I am on the wrong side of the light to get good shots, I need to sneak past the Harrier but she takes flight as I approach her post.

  

I stay and watch her loop around wondering what she will do next. Still calling out at someone.

The Harrier turns and heads back... she has decided to come back to her favorite perch.

She is still chirping.

I am snapping away but too fast and my camera goes blank!

I fiddle with my camera and now by the time I find my focus... she is directly in front.

She is focused on something far east.

Full frame.

She lands and I'm very close. I decide to take a chance and keep moving forward for a better light.

She gives me that look... "you are too close"! I love the heart patterns on her bloomers.

But she didn't take flight this time. I stop and turn to get a few shots.

She hears my camera clicking away but stays relaxed with one foot tucked up.

The Harrier decides to stay and relax. She settles down enjoying the midday sun.

She has been hunting all morning. Looks like she has a full crop and is ready for a little nap to digest her food.

This shot really shows her owl like markings.

  

I love photographing this wonderful raptor. She always looks so regal and majestic... the Queen of Rios. One last shot and I'm ready to go home.

Have a beautiful weekend everyone.