{"id":44391,"date":"2017-01-14T05:57:29","date_gmt":"2017-01-14T12:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=44391"},"modified":"2025-02-22T05:34:43","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T11:34:43","slug":"prairie-falcon-with-prey-in-box-elder-county-utah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/01\/14\/prairie-falcon-with-prey-in-box-elder-county-utah\/","title":{"rendered":"Prairie Falcon with Prey in Box Elder County, Utah (Graphic)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult Prairie Falcon with prey in Box Elder County – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

I drove up to northern Utah yesterday morning because the forecast for that area looked better than the forecast for the area where I live and I’m glad I went. The sun was shining. I had blue skies with a few thin clouds over head and although it was chilly at 22\u00b0F it wasn’t -22 like it was the last time I was up there so it felt comfortable.<\/p>\n

I saw Bald and Golden Eagles, Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, Chukars, Ring-necked Pheasants, Rough-legged Hawks, Common Ravens, Horned Larks, Western Meadowlarks, Black-billed Magpies, some shrikes that I suspect were Northern Shrikes, Canada Geese flying in V-formations, ducks that were too far away to ID and two Prairie Falcons.<\/p>\n

One of the Prairie Falcons was so skittish it flew off when I was at least one football field away from it but the second one was far more cooperative.<\/p>\n

The Prairie Falcon I photographed had prey and that may be why it was less skittish. I have no idea what the prey is but it is larger than a vole and had fur not feathers.<\/p>\n

\"PrairiePrairie Falcon adult with prey in winter – Nikon D500, f9, 1\/640, ISO 250, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The area behind the Prairie Falcon in my photos is a grassy rangeland that was covered in snow. I was parked on the shoulder of a paved two lane road across from the falcon using my Jeep as a mobile blind.<\/p>\n

\"PerchedPerched Prairie Falcon with prey – Nikon D500, f9, 1\/500, ISO 250, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The Prairie Falcon seemed content to just watch me as I photographed it. It did not eat the prey it had grasped in it talons. Perhaps it was just enjoying the warmth of the sun. I know that it felt great to me after so many dreary days in a row.<\/p>\n

I noticed that the falcon’s crop bulged a bit and it has some blood on its bill which tells me it had been eating its prey before I came across it.<\/p>\n

\"PrairiePrairie Falcon with prey on a wooden post – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The falcon perched on this fence post for two minutes while I photographed it before a pickup hauling an empty trailer rumbled by and chased it away. This Prairie Falcon was one of my best birds of the morning yesterday. After the falcon flew off I turned my Jeep towards home with a smile on my face.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that earlier in the morning, I was almost at the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR when I noticed the light was much better further north.<\/p>\n

Because I\u2019m a very flexible and spontaneous woman\u2014not rigid or intractable\u2014I swung my Jeep around and headed for the good light. I wouldn\u2019t have gotten these photos if I hadn\u2019t followed my gut instincts. Yay, instincts!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Prairie Falcon photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Prairie Falcon I photographed had prey and that may be why it was less skittish. I have no idea what the prey is but it is larger than a vole and had fur not feathers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,1148,1095,26],"tags":[4004,2663,1139,4278,4078,4279,898,1130,4104,2617,4106,153,4050,1999,373],"class_list":["post-44391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-prairie-falcons","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-crop","tag-falco-mexicanus","tag-falcon","tag-falcons","tag-fence-post","tag-food","tag-perched","tag-prairie-falcon","tag-prey","tag-raptors","tag-snow","tag-talons","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/prairie-falcon-adult-prey-mia-mcpherson-4175.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-bxZ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":49472,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/11\/18\/side-by-side-prairie-and-peregrine-falcon-comparison\/","url_meta":{"origin":44391,"position":0},"title":"Side By Side Prairie and Peregrine Falcon Comparison","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"There are other differences in plumage between Prairie and Peregrine Falcons that show in my photos but by using just their heads it is possible to make a quick ID in the field.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Prairie and Peregrine Falcon Comparison, Prairie - Box Elder County, Utah, Peregrine - Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/peregrine-falcon-prairie-falcon-snow-mia-mcpherson-8165.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/peregrine-falcon-prairie-falcon-snow-mia-mcpherson-8165.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/peregrine-falcon-prairie-falcon-snow-mia-mcpherson-8165.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/peregrine-falcon-prairie-falcon-snow-mia-mcpherson-8165.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6560,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/11\/11\/prairie-falcon-with-a-northern-shoveler-as-prey-graphic\/","url_meta":{"origin":44391,"position":1},"title":"Prairie Falcon with a Northern Shoveler as prey (Graphic)","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 11, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this morning I spotted a Prairie Falcon perched on a rock while on the Antelope Island Causeway, before we could get stopped and into position to photograph the falcon it took off over the water and attacked a Northern Shoveler.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Prairie Falcon lifting Northern Shoveler over rocks on the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island State Park in Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/prairie-falcon-prey-mia-mcpherson-8535.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/prairie-falcon-prey-mia-mcpherson-8535.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/prairie-falcon-prey-mia-mcpherson-8535.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/prairie-falcon-prey-mia-mcpherson-8535.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3842,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/12\/16\/friday-photos-prairie-falcon\/","url_meta":{"origin":44391,"position":2},"title":"Friday Photos ~ Prairie Falcon","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 16, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Many of my regular readers probably know that I have been having a great time the past month photographing Rough-legged Hawks and Prairie Falcons so I selected an image of a Prairie Falcon to post for my Friday Photos today.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Prairie Falcon in early morning light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/prairie-falcon-mia-mcpherson-5355.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/prairie-falcon-mia-mcpherson-5355.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/prairie-falcon-mia-mcpherson-5355.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3705,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/11\/17\/prairie-falcon-eureka-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":44391,"position":3},"title":"Prairie Falcon – Eureka Again!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 17, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Wow, two nemesis birds photographed in a week, this Prairie Falcon was amazing. I'll be grinning (and dancing) about this for quite awhile!","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Prairie Falcon getting ready for lift off, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/prairie-falcon-1st-year-mia-mcpherson-9922.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/prairie-falcon-1st-year-mia-mcpherson-9922.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/prairie-falcon-1st-year-mia-mcpherson-9922.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/prairie-falcon-1st-year-mia-mcpherson-9922.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14926,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/05\/10\/a-first-year-prairie-falcon\/","url_meta":{"origin":44391,"position":4},"title":"First year Prairie Falcon","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 10, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In the fall of 2011 I enjoyed being able to photograph this first year Prairie Falcon several times close to the Great Salt Lake in Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Early morning Prairie Falcon, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, 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