Feature Photo
The Story Behind the PhotoPeregrine Falcon yawning, Fort Myers Beach, Florida - January 5, 2003
I've been dying to get a recognizable photo of a wild Peregrine Falcon for years.
Even after visiting raptor migration hotspots like Hawk Mountain (Pennsylvania),
Point Pelee (Ontario) and Cape May (New Jersey) - I was still batting zero.
Thankfully, my luck changed for the better on a recent trip to Florida!Early one morning before sunrise, I was walking down the beach en route to meet
a group of other photographers. A very low tide had exposed some productive
feeding areas that attracted a feeding frenzy of herons, egrets and terns. As the sun
crept over the horizon, it lit the birds up with spectacular warm light. Of course, I
couldn't resist photographing them!
After I'd shot a couple rolls of film, all the birds suddenly dispersed. My first thought
was that there must be an Osprey or Bald Eagle flying around -but then a dark blob
shot passed me - a juvenile peregrine falcon at high speed! And it got better: the
falcon landed on the beach about 100 yards away!
Anxious with excitement, I put a teleconverter on my 600mm lens and started towards
the peregrine - moving slowly and keeping a low profile. I snapped a few shots with the
bird quite small in the frame - not wanting to get skunked if it suddenly took off. I
resumed my approach - stopping to shoot along the way. To my dismay, the bird
launched - but then it landed again, only a short distance away. What luck! I resumed
my crawl - as slow and low as a tortoise - and was able to shoot a couple of rolls of
full-framers. My motor drive was roaring when the bird yawned, and I captured the
above photo. I still tremble thinking about the excitement of that moment!
