Another Brown Falcon with prey experience feet, tail and all

Yesterday as I was driving out to Kintore, an aboriginal community about 540 kms west of Alice Springs, I was struck for the most part of the journey by the birdlife - or rather, the lack of it. Last week there were birds everywhere, whereas yesterday there were very few birds. That was until I saw a Brown Falcon fly up off the road and circle back behind me. I stopped the car as it hadn't flown off like most Brown Falcons I see, and I had guessed it had settled somewhere close by. I jumped out of the car with the camera and walked back along the road. It didn't take long to find it as it was being harrassed by a White-winged Triller and a Masked Woodswallow.

t the time I thought it had just landed and was perched looking for food. What I didn't realise was that it had probably just caught a small Bearded Dragon and was having its afternoon meal. The first shots I took were by the road, and slowly but surely I moved closer until I eventually stopped about 10 metres away. I was sure it was going to fly off, so ensured the push-pull zoom was able to move freely. I was captivated by the falcon, and it didn't seem to mind me being so close, more concerned by the swooping smaller birds. It ate its meal on one group of branches from a fallen tree and then a shot flight to another group of branches from the same tree to preen itself and let the meal settle. I was really happy with lots and lots of the photos. It is not very often you are this close to a bird of prey, see it consume its prey, and then get the close-up shots in the late afternoon sun. I've selected a dozen photos, I hope you enjoy them.

Brown Falcon

a sneeze to get rid of the bits it didn't like

being harrassed by a Masked Woodswallow

being harrassed by a White-winged Triller