GYR FALCON / JAKTFALK

D4, 200-400 4,0, f/4,5, 1/400, ISO 1250

OK, they are "only" juvenile birds ….. but they are gyr falcons ! GYR FALCONS !!!! 

By the time of my photography in early July the young birds were already fully feathered and excellent flyers. They were no longer at the nest, but still sticking together and dependent on their parent`s supplies of food (basically ptarmigans & willow grouse). The birds had established several "feeding stations" on elevated nights in the landscape and THIS was the key to these pictures. Since this bird is rare, shy & red listed I want to emphasize that the ethic aspects of this shooting were highly considered. The birds were not visibly stressed by my careful approach and the shooting was done in relatively short sessions. It`s been a long term dream for me to do this bird and I am proud to show the pictures !!

The shooting was done in the high alpine region somewhere in Norway, July 2014.

Thanks to a good friend !

Ingen grunn til å være så hemmelighetsfull ? Å jo da, det er det. Det er dessverre flere mennesker som kjenner til reirets beliggenhet. For etpar år siden ble reiret pepret med en solid dose blyhagl, egg / ungr drept og hekkingen rimeligvis spolert dèt året. Ufattelig at noen kan få seg til å gjøre slikt !!! … og historien bedrer heller ikke på mitt allerede anstrengte forhold til jegere som gruppe, … fordi udåden ble selvsagt begått av jegere som ser falken som konkurrent i sitt eget "private" rypefat. Jeg mener jo ikke at alle jegere er slik, men det er med dette som det er med muslimer her hjemme : Hvorfor tar ikke hele gruppen sterkere tak i dette ? Hvorfor tar de ikke mer aktivt avstand fra terror og udåd og avvæpner slike folk på livstid …. i stedet for å dekke dem ?? 

At some point the light was incredible as the bird was sitting in the shade and the late evening sun suddenly burst through the clouds and hit the slopes behind

D4, 200-400 4,0, f/4,5, 1/400, ISO 640

D4, 200-400 4,0, f/4,5, 1/400, ISO 1400

Gyr falcon in it`s best environment : the high alpine region

D4, 200-400 4,0, f/5,6, 1/500, ISO 280

D4, 200-400 4,0, f/5,0, 1/500, ISO 1400

D4, 200-400 4,0, f/4,5, 1/500, ISO 1800

D4, 200-400 4,0, f/4,5, 1/400, ISO 1400

D4, 600 4,0, f/6,3, 1/1000, ISO 320

D4,600 4,0, f/6,3, 1/320, ISO 1100

D4, 600 4,0, f/6,3, 1/1000, ISO 560

With early morning frost on the ground (in July !!!)

D4, 200-400 4,0 f/4,5, 1/500, ISO 2000

D4, 200-400 4,0, f/4,5, 1/500, ISO 1800

D4, 600 ,0, f/6,3, 1/1000, ISO 320

D4, 600 4,0, f/6,3, 1/1000, ISO 360

HIGHLIGHTS (?) 2013

This "highlight-thing" may seem a little stupid …  but on the other hand : I`ve always been doing it and it gives me the possibility to take out "older" stuff and present it in a different context. Last January was however very busy and I never had the time to do the 2013 "highlights" by that time. 

So, what`s more natural than doing last year`s compilation it in mid summer 2014 …. when everybody is on holiday and and have little focus on posted blogs …. ??

The challenge is : Two pictures for every month through the year. 

JANUARY

Alligator. Shot in Everglades NP Florida. 

I had to be in the water, totally submerged with clothes on,  to shoot this picture. 

Dominant male hippo. Shot Masai Mara NP, Kenya

Like the alligator : I took a little bit of risk, laying flat in the mud through the whole morning , to get this low angle

FEBRUARY

Great grey owl (lappugle). Shot Kajaani region, Finland

Tawny owl in the doorway (kattugle). Shot Oslo region southern Norway

MARCH

Arctic hare. Shot Finmark, northern Norway

The picture was rewarded in NNPC int. contest

Arctic hare. Shot Finmark, northern Norway

The picture was rewarded in Oasis Int. contest

APRIL

Great Bustard (stortrappe). Shot mid-Spain.

I`ve tried this difficult specie before without success. This time I was lucky.

Lynx. Shot Møre region, western Norway

I always dreamt about doing a wild lynx, but as years passed by … I thought it may never happen.

MAY

Ural owl (slagugle). Shot Vaala region, Finland

Ruff (brushane). Shot Oulu region Finland

JUNE

Adders (huggorm). Shot Oslo region Norway

I put a lot of effort into adders last year. This is one of my favourites.

A beautiful male black adder. Shot Oslo region Norway

JULY

Male hawk owl (haukugle) in heavy rain. Shot Telemark region, Norway

The rare and beautiful Apollo butterfly. My first Apollo ever ! Shot Gotland Island, Sweden.

AUGUST

A young Kestrel (tårnfalk). Shot Telemark region Norway

Osprey (fiskeørn) & full moon. Shot Telemark region Norway

Picture was awarded in the NNPC contest

SEPTEMBER

Arctic fox (fjellrev). Shot Dovre mountain plateau Norway

Black adder with mouse prey. Shot Oslo region Norway.

As I said previously : I put A LOT of effort into adders last year.

OCTOBER

I was ambitiously trying to do difficult stuff in October, but failed. 

My shots from October are unfortunately no good ! 

Red Deer (hjort). Shot a rainy morning in Møre region, western Norway 

Common jay (nøtteskrike). Shot Telemark region Norway

NOVEMBER

Lammergeier (lammegribb). Shot Pyrenees, northern Spain

I`ve tried this specie before …. without success. This time I had "all times high" with the lammergeier.

Black vultures (munkegribb). Shot Pyrenees, northern Spain

DECEMBER

White tailed eagle in heavy snow. Shot Flatanger region, mid Norway

Golden eagle (kongeørn). Shot Flatanger region mid Norway