ML70885671

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

At 1511, while watching a group of ca 5-10 perched AMRO and at least 1 WEME in reach 4, the group suddenly took off from where perched N of the stream near the base of a hill as a falcon flew near them, moving downstream fast with Merlin-like wingbeats. Classic falcon profile, with narrow pointy wingtips and sharp bend at the elbows. Rapidly went beyond the property, east, where a BBMA was flapping along, seemingly more or less over Head Ln. The Peregrine flew straight for the magpie and grabbed it from the air - it was apparent that the two were somewhat comparable in size. The PEFA dropped down into the old sewage lagoon area, where we lost sight of it. As we quickly and warily approached, we noted several BBMA perched in Russian-olives along the N side of the lagoon. The sewage lagoon area itself consists of a large, grassy field that is sunk several meters below the surrounding terrain. The PEFA was on the ground approximately in the center of this field, feeding on the magpie. Several minutes of video footage show it using its beak to tear into the carcass and swallow bites, while presumably holding the magpie with its feet. It looked around fairly frequently and shifted the direction it was facing, perhaps to detect the approach of predators such as coyotes. Observed it on the ground at least from 1520 to 1536 (based on photo and video time stamps). Sometime after 1536 it flew more or less south and we relocated it shortly thereafter on a wooden fencepost by the Head Ranch buildings, where it continued to feed on part of the magpie (wings or tail?). After ending the bird monitoring survey, we drove east on the access road and paused to observe the falcon some more (details noted on that list); at 1612 it flew SE, disappearing far into the distance.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P900

ISO

400

Focal length

571.2 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/6.5

Shutter speed

1/200 sec

Dimensions

1329 pixels x 1126 pixels

Original file size

170.6 KB