The look of a noble falcon is apparent in this Merlin portrait, taken while waiting for the possibility of a little action, perhaps a ruffle or a stretch – any movements would do (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/1600 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

We all have favorite birds, and there are also certain birds that really excite us when we see them. For me, and many people, seeing a falcon is very special – any falcon – ranging from American Kestrels to Gyrfalcons. Lately, the small but intense Merlins have been most noticeable in my area, with 7 Merlins appearing during my regular birding drives during August – by far more than ever before. Among the 7 Merlins, I’ve been lucky enough to photograph 3 of the mini-falcons, which isn’t a bad percentage. But, as with all birds, it all comes down to which individual bird will permit us to approach it to get into just the right position to photograph it under the varied conditions that include the direction of the sunlight, the landscape surrounding the perch site, to the openness of the perch the bird is resting or hunting from.

The first 2 Merlins I photographed during August were positioned close to a road on low perches, and they were most accommodating for me to compose close portrait photographs of them. However, both of the little falcons offered little more action than turning their heads. That’s OK, I’ll take those beautiful Merlin portraits any day; but it’s always nice when you get a chance to take a couple photographs that show some level of activity. So I watched for my next opportunity to photograph a falcon enthusiastically, glad for the photos I managed and enthusiastic about the next photo op with the hope of some level of action.

During an enjoyable birding drive in the midst of prime late afternoon sunlight, I tried in vain to take just a single photo of 1 of the 5 American Kestrels I found along the edges of a mature tree grove that is favored by Red-headed Woodpeckers as a nesting location. In fact, I wouldn’t doubt it if these “playful” kestrels were a family group including fledglings raised in a nesting cavity excavated during a previous year by a woodpecker or flicker. Slightly frustrated by the lack of trust the kestrels offered, I turned south to another grove of trees where I’ve had good photo luck during recent years. From a half-mile away I could see a promising figure perched at the top of a dead branch on a white skeleton tree. I stopped my mobile blind (car) at that point and raised my binoculars, only to see it was indeed a Merlin, positioned high above and quite close the very rural roadway.

When the Merlin looked like it was ready to launch into flight, it put me on high alert in the midst of the extended photo session that was graced by prime late afternoon sunlight (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/2000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

At that point, all I could do is try to get into photo position (after double-checking my aperture and shutter speed settings). I drove ahead slowly, hugging the far side of the gravel, watching for any reaction from the mini-falcon that would make me stop short. It seemed comfortable with my approach, looking into the distance to the west (into the sunlight). Because the Merlin was perched quite high, and because it appeared to be a little more alert, I turned off the engine a bit short of where I really wanted to be, but it all worked out with the exciting little falcon permitting me to coast into position.

But wait, the Merlin pulled upright again, only to begin an impressive stretching motion that provided a chance to document its movements and show details of this female’s plumage (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/2000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

I quickly took a couple initial photographs, then relaxed a bit to wait for a little action, or a lot. I could see there was a hint of shadow along the contour of the Merlin’s back, but who besides me would really notice – ha. I found that over the course of the more than 5 minutes I spent in the company of the Merlin, it eventually turned in my direction just enough to eliminate the shadow. By then I had plenty of portrait photos, so wished: “Give me a little action please” – and it did! It fluffed its plumage just a bit, then bent forward as it raised its wings low above its back and spread its tail as wide as possible, showing concentric white lines across its black tail – very kool. But what really caught my attention was seeing it fluff the feathers on its head and chin to make it look especially enchanting. That’s the kind of action I was looking for, action without leaving.

Suddenly, the Merlin stretched forward, spreading its tail to its full width and lifting its wings above its back as I hoped it would continue by stretching its wings high. This is an unusual, but favorite image taken during the photo series (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/2000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

The Merlin regained its composure and resumed its observations of the area to the west, and during the next few minutes the Merlin repeated the same stretching process, but I was a little surprised it didn’t stretch its wings higher above its back, perhaps adding a flap or 2 – but maybe I was getting photographically greedy – ha-ha. It was hard to tell if this was an adult female or a recently fledged Merlin, but this bird seemed a little more confident and aware than the obviously recent fledgling I photographed a few weeks earlier. This Merlin was a shade darker in color too, indicating it was a Taiga subspecies that originates from the boreal forest, as compared to the paler tan coloration of the Prairie subspecies that nests south of the boreal region.

Instead of stretching its wings above its back, the Merlin raised its body as it stretched its wing downward on one side, then the other, showing characteristic falcon flight feathers (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/2500 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

After an extended photo period, it seemed that something to the north caught the Merlin’s attention, and as it reversed its position, it lost its balance, which necessitated its wings to spread, and its tail to flap forward in a very awkward way. I took 2 photos of that action, but in the process the Merlin turned into the shadows, so the photos were poorly lighted and the bird’s positions weren’t attractive, but I gave it an honest try. Then, after a moment of catching its balance and peering north again, the Merlin took flight.

Returning to an alert posture, the Merlin appeared to be watching for the potential of a hunting flight, providing a sleek view of its stream-lined form that’s designed for speed and agility (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/1600 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

I was on high alert for the takeoff; but alas, those action photos didn’t turn out very well either. That’s often the norm when photographing birds, and the important thing is that we need to be in position, be alert, anticipate action, and react as the action transpires. I’m happy with the photographs I managed to get, and actually a little surprised considering the mini-falcon was perched relatively high above my position. But the time spent in the presence of such a fine Merlin was memorable, as are some of the photos I took of her, which keeps me on high alert for the next falcon to catch my eye. Good Luck with your next bird photo opportunities, and remember to keep the sun behind you.

Article and Photographs by Paul Konrad

Share your bird photos and birding experiences at editorstbw2@gmail.com