mostly birds...

Juvenile Gyrfalcon

Posted by Douglas Brown , Wednesday, January 20, 2010 1:30 AM

Monday cleared up in the afternoon, so I put down what I was doing and hightailed it out to the Ladner area. Up in a lone tree I saw what I thought was a red tailed, but further review of the photo I discovered a lifer for me.   First time Gyrfalcon.     

I  walked around and around the tree
Looking for the best pint of view
But this seemed nicest.
Apparently this has been hanging
around this area awhile.
This is close to where I saw
a kestrel, and a peregrine.


The Gyrfalcon is the official bird of
Canada's Northwest Territories.
Most prey is killed on the ground,
whether they are captured there or,
if the victim is a flying bird,
forced to the ground.



The other shot is ok,
and I am just glad to
finally have reference to
a gyrfalcon.
The brown form of the Gyrfalcon
is distinguished from the Peregrine
by the cream streaking on
the nape and crown and by
the absence of a well-defined
malar stripe and cap.