Wild tiercel (male) Peregrine Falcon (Falcon peregrinus anatum) transfers a prey bird from his beak to the waiting talons of his Falcon (female) mate. Successful food transfers occur very, very fast. They take 1 second to complete. While the Falcon is in her cliffside eyrie (nest) on eggs or with her eyeases (young), the Tiercel goes out and captures a prey bird on the wing. When he returns to the eyrie air space he calls out to the Falcon, who launches out of her eyrie and flies out positioning herself underneath the Tiercel. She inverts herself with talons pointed up to take the prey bird from the Tiercels beak.
To photo document this spectacular behavior I spend hours waiting below their cliff side eyrie during brooding season. I have found knowing your subjects behavior will give you the advantage of being in the right place at the right time to capture the shot. I can't tell you how many times I have waited and waited and than because of a brief distraction I took my eyes off the bluffs, only to hear the Peregrines vocalizing to each other during their exchange but missed the shot. This day I was in sync with their behavior (bio chronology) and captured a 4 frames of the food exchange.
Regarding this mating pair of Peregrine Falcons; I have monitored and photo documented them for 4 years. They have been named Sid and Nancy. They have produced 8 new Peregrine Falcons at their coastal eyrie during this time. I have their fledglings banded with USGS ID bands to help track their survival rates. At least 3 of Sid & Nancy's young Peregrines are known survivors and have taken up residence 120 miles north of their birth habitat. Keen observers at their new location have contacted me to keep me up to date on their health and activities. I occasionally travel north to observe them myself. It is wonderful natural cycle of Peregrine life that I find fascinating.
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