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