Side benefits to shooting pests.. observing nature!

[LuckyStrike]

The Starlings were dropping like flies the other day at one of our farm permissions... but one bird got dinged and got awy unfortunately even though we tried to dispatch it quickly.

Several minutes later a small Falcon arrived with that bird and for 1/2 and hour we observed him eating the Starling... Quite something to watch

!



Lucky...

 

[Bob_O]

Oh man that is awesome!!! Good that you had a nice camera to take these clear close up pics!!

 

[Buckeye]

Nice pics, Mother nature at her finest.

 

[gadballs9]

Love that first pic. Its like he's sayin' " what the hell you lookin' at?" Birds of prey are truly awesome.

 

[MP44]

Great pic, thanks for sharing.

 

[RBAZ]

Several times I’ve shot pigeons at my place and have had Harris hawks swoop down on them for a fresh meal. Great to see.

 

[DAVEFISHING]

GREAT PICTURE

 

[Guest]

That’s a Merlin, cool. The farm I shoot at, has a resident Cooper’s hawk that surprises me when it comes blasting out of the sheds and barns. It knows where the pigeons and starlings are. 

 

[adb1228]

Nice shot .That's a Redtail Hawk, btw. 

 

[Bob_O]

That's for sure not a red tail.

 

[kayaker]

LuckyStrike Nice pictures ! But I think he's trying to tell you something--- (I need no help!!!) What state was the picture taken in ? Boog Have to agree with you, sure looks like a merlin to me.

 

[LuckyStrike]

The winner is .. Black Merlin! Tiny little falcon .. from Southern British Columbia! I got so interested in taking his photo(s) that I never shot another starling that day!

 

[Guest]

I had to laugh at the red tail hawk ID. 

 

[Guest]

Those are flat out awesome photos. For my money, no cooler critters than birds of prey.

 

[LuckyStrike]

.................................

I could hardly believe where this little Falcon chose to sit and eat the Starling! (I shot hundreds of photos and other than glare at me a few times... telling me to keep the noise down, haha , he just went about enjoying that meal.... I was a tad concerned when he ripped off that entire leg and thigh, then down the hatch with the foot protruding ... He struggled with that bite, but got er done!!!

 

[Guest]

Those are flat out awesome photos. For my money, no cooler critters than birds of prey.

Gotta’ agree, and I think falcons top the list!

Lucky, thanks for posting the awesome photos. I’m just glad the Merlin hates starlings as much as we do. 

 

[tommyb]

Have to love Mother Nature. Those are good pics.

Couple weeks back I shot a collared dove out of a tree at 25 yards and immediately a Hawk scooped him up. Excellent vision and quick reflexes, and pretty amazing really. I live next to a woods in the backyard, and those Hawks have been getting some good meals on squirrels that I dispatch, when they are in season here in NC. It's pretty cool to watch them grab a dead squirrel, and when I try and get close with the iPhone camera to take some pics / video, they grab the squirrel and move deeper into the woods.

Big fan of birds of prey and fun to watch them hunt.

 

[LuckyStrike]

Thank you to all on your comments ... I do work away at getting decent wildlife photos ... Don't always have my camera ready when pesting, but might be a good plan as interesting things seem to happen.

tommyb ... I didn't realize that a hawk would take a dead squirrel ... but perhaps they will right after being plunked.



A great forum and super guys here!!!



All the best



Lucky...