Birds and Nature

While the Peregrine did not look at me but a few times, it did often look over towards the river or up to the sky as though guarding against some possible threat (I did not see any mammal or people around nor any other raptor above so maybe this is just usual preventative behavior). Since the Peregrine had already been eating on the carcass of it's prey all I ever saw was this large piece of feathered meat as shown in these pics. It apparently at the foot shown in the photo on the previous post as I looked for it after a truck flushed the falcon and did not find one. As can be seen in the bottom pic it devoured the intestines. SeEtta

I spotted this Peregrine Falcon perched on top of a utility pole just east of Canon City. I positioned by car so I could photograph from inside, using the car it as a blind, to try to avoid disrupting this bird's meal. Soon after I started taking photos I was surprised to see the Peregrine with a very large foot in it's beak. I had thought it had a duck since it was a large meal and it was very near the Arkansas River; however, this is not a webbed foot but a foot that looks like it came possibly from another raptor as it is not only quite large but has very long nails. It's yellowish foot and leg with the long claws look a lot like that of a Cooper's Hawk's foot , or maybe a  Sharp-shinned foot, but I am open to other species. Though I was successful in avoiding flushing this Peregrine it did look at me a few times presumably in response to the mechanical sounds of my dslr camera. More pics to follow. SeEtta

These two Common Mergansers were taking advantage of a spot in the Arkansas River where they could rest and do some grooming. I stayed in my car and shot just a few photos so as not to disturb them since there are now a lot of fishermen on the river making it difficult for birds like this to be undisturbed. I was pleased to see them staying put as I drove away. SeEtta

I spotted this pair of Common Mergansers loafing in a slow section of the Arkansas River near Coaldale (west of Canon City) a few days ago. I think they make a handsome couple. SeEtta