Vancouver is experiencing some wonderful sunny weather albeit unusually cold. As long as one wears plenty of clothing (I can hear those in the rest of Canada laughing) it is a pleasure to be outdoors.
The assignment for Thursday was to photograph a Gyrfalcon that has returned to New Brighton Park in Vancouver. The speedy falcon has been feasting on pigeons which are attracted to a nearby granary crammed full of delicious Canadian wheat. Yummy for the pigeons and doubly yummy for the gyrfalcon which is dining on tasty grain fed pigeon several times a day.
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| A Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) heads toward a unsuspecting flock of pigeons. Unfortunately the best place to stand with a clear view of the Viterra Granary is in the shade which meant a very cold wait. I spent two hours waiting patiently for the Gyrfalcon to launch itself off the conveyer belt which itself is about two hundred feet off the ground.
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| After dropping the prey the Gyrfalcon looks below but it had plunged into the water. |
What can I say, the wait was well worth it despite the cold. I not only secured my first ever photographs of a gyrfalcon I was blessed to witnesses one of Nature's most powerful and beautiful performers go about its daily ritual.
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| The Gyrfalcon heads back to its perch ready for another foray. |
Good Birding
John Gordon
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Amazing shots. I have been to see him many times but I do not have a great camera like you. These are the best shots I have seen anyone take of him yet. I don't know about you but I have to admit I am glad when the pigeons do get away.
ReplyDeleteps I cannot imagine standing there for 2 hours in the cold. I went to terra nova today for 1 hour to watch some harriers and over to iona to see the peregrine and froze and was outside for a total of 1 hour!
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