It is certainly no Bald Eagle, but since my Falcon friend of six years decided to perch upon the Cell Phone Tower, I could not help but get a few shots...
I was driving around Concord, CA at 7AM last Saturday and saw a falcon in the middle of a usually busy intersection (no traffic out) eating a white dove. Wish I had my camera for that. Later that day I saw a nearby bird coup with white doves in it. Made me wonder ...
You got that right. I love watching the Falcon's hunt. What is really neat is that the Falcon's and Roadrunners work together in flushing their prey out of the tree's and bushes.
yeah that whole series on the raptors was badass. Once prey is spotted, it begins its stoop, folding back the tail and wings, with feet tucked. The air pressure from a 200 mph (320 km/h) dive could possibly damage a bird's lungs, but small bony tubercles in a falcon's nostrils guide the shock waves of the air entering the nostrils (compare intake ramps and inlet cones of jet engines), enabling the bird to breathe more easily while diving by reducing the change in air pressure. To protect their eyes, the falcons use their nictitating membranes (third eyelids) to spread tears and clear debris from their eyes while maintaining vision. Prey is struck and captured in mid-air; the Peregrine Falcon strikes its prey with a clenched foot, stunning or killing it, then turns to catch it in mid-air. haha just sick.
