mrsroadrunner A Wildlife, Nature Photographer, Oregon Prairie Falcon Looking Proud. This is one of a family of Prairie Falcons that are nesting not far from where we live back in July 2010.
We were checking out the national grass lands when one of these falcons caught our eye.
I believe the first one was the male. Just the way "he" was acting. He took off flying and we followed in the truck. The falcon lead us to two more falcons.
I got out of the truck, and knowing this is national , government land hiked to where these birds were very loudly expressing concern that attention was being brought to them.
After the male had landed on top of the tree, looking to the right was another adult, to the left only because of the behavior it was exhibiting, this was the offspring.
The adults finally flew off, but this offspring staid put. I kept far enough away not to cause to much stress to the big fellow. Though I did get right underneath the tree in which it was perched for some of these shots.
As I looked back at the truck and Guy I had noticed he got out. I am positive Guy gets rather bored sitting in the truck, though he also knows better than to come to where I was. He is my eyes, ears everything when I am doing my thing. Never know what is around and I am not paying attention.
The adults yelled at me, they swooped like they were going to tag me. They did not want me there, but I was really not there to hurt their offspring.
The offspring really , as you can see did not think nothing of me. I got some nice close ups. The eyes tell a lot about any living creature. Birds do pant, you know like a dog. They also look scared. They move, they cry, they are just antsy. This offspring showed no signs of being scared of me. It has not learned yet that humans were something to be scared of.
I do thank the male for bringing us to the others. Animals do communicate, we just need to learn their language. The adults were trying hard to get me away from the young. Screaming at me and just making a racket. If a human I can just imagine what the mate was saying to the other for bringing us directly to the offspring HAHA
The male landed into a tree left of this one. I felt good about the photographs I got of the offspring, so pointed in the direction of the male. The female seeing I was paying attention to the male in the tree swooped down to where the offspring was comfortable where it was perched at, and though I did not personally see it, Guy did.
She made the offspring fly. The three photographs of one of these flying is the offspring. I just had to turn around to capture the offspring flying and I did.
The bird of prey are pretty smart birds. It did not take a wildlife genius to see that the adults were working together as a team, against me!
The offspring appeared to be quite content perched where it was and allowing me all the photographs I wanted. The adults being older and wiser new that humans are not to be trusted. This is the way wildlife needs to be to survive. Many people use falcons as pets or they use them for their own purposes somehow.
I wonder how many are captured from the wild? How many offspring are taken from the adults? Put a hood on the offspring's head, and a leash on a foot, put into a cage for the rest of it's life?? Never to be free again??
I only picked out 10 photographs for this.
I have one on ebay right now, and more at my store as I get my store stocked.
