Friday Bird Blogging: Falcons

Last weekend was a particularly nice treat for me. Not only did I get to see all three of our regional falcons (Peregrine, Kestrel and Merlin), but I got excellent pictures of all three. I've had acceptable pictures of a peregrine (upper left) before, but never quite like this. The kestrel (upper right) flew directly overhead. The merlin (bottom) was just hanging out in a tree for hours. It let me get right beneath it and rattle off 40+ shots without even seeming to care.

The Peregrine picture was taken at Parker River Wildlife Refuge, in Plum Island, MA. We got to watch it fly by and hunt for a time, fly off, get chased away by a Harrier, come back and hunt some more before flying off.

The Kestrel and Merlin were both at Lighthouse Point, a major migration route in East Haven, CT.