...perhaps my best shots of this famous predator yet.
But why is this bird famous, you ask? This bird holds the worldwide record of the fastest diving speed.
He has left his signature under the high tree twice now for us to see. Two registered racing pigeons that he plucked out of the sky, and I managed to get the rings of the two dead birds. We took the rings of the first bird to our local vet, and on the second day there was another dead bird below the tree. I now also have to take the second set of rings to our vet. Thankfully for the bird's owner, we have not seen more birds of his, and I hope that he is flying his birds in another area.
Let's see what the Guinness World Record has to say about this bird.
The fastest dive by a bird is that of a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), which has been estimated at reaching a terminal velocity in ideal conditions of approximately 320 km/h (200 mph) when in a diving stoop hunting prey on the wing. Some experimental dives have suggested that even higher speeds are possible by this species, perhaps up to 389 km/h (242 mph).
He certainly gave me his death stare :)
A first for me to see him preening.
I hoped that he would lift his tail to get his beak to the oil pot in order to oil his feathers, but sadly no go, as he only worked at the top of his back. But then again, one cannot have everything in life one's way, and as I so often say, such is life.
Then the wind came up and it flared his feathers.
Just have a look at his claws, and no prey stands a chance at his grip.
That tall tree at the right belongs to the Peregrine, and he sits near the top of the tree. Able to scout for miles around in a search for prey.
I have done a few posts in my blog of the peregrine over the years, and I know that I will get him on camera every time that I see him in the future, as he simply fascinates me. It is said that the falconers (Bird handlers) are also fond of keeping the peregrines, and in fact his speed was clocked for the world record by a falconer. I don't keep birds, and if I did, then it would be a peregrine.
Maybe I can make friends with this one, and invite him to our place near the river, as we frequently see rats running around. I am sure that he will get so fat that his speed will drop to 10kph :) Only joking, as usual and I am really showing you one of nature's masters of flight. A thought came to me to submit the second photo in this post to bird publishers, as I have never before seen a peregrine stare like that. Maybe, maybe not.
Such is life.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
Until next time, cheers!
