Mike in the Wild

Earlier this year, I had my first confirmed encounter with a peregrine falcon when I witnessed one deftly hunting northern shovelers at Gilbert's Water Ranch.  It seemed appropriate to see him in flight as the raptor is renowned as the fasted animal on Earth.   And just this week, I saw one for the second time.  But on this occasion it was much closer to my home and was mostly earthbound, quietly perched atop a neighborhood tree.  I like to tell my friends that if you see a bird-of-prey in the wild, chances are it's a red-tailed hawk.  And if it's not that common raptor, it's probably a Cooper's hawk, quite similar in appearance except for striped tail feathers instead of solid red.  But which one you're seeing probably depends a lot on exactly where you are. I've traveled many miles of Arizona's quieter highways, off the busy interstates while on the way to birding hotspots like Madera Canyon, Page Springs and Santa Cruz Flats.  Along these ro...

Birds of prey, or raptors, are probably the most exciting birds to see in the wild.  It's not uncommon to see them majestically soaring in the sky or regally perched on a utility pole.  Most of them are stealthy hunters, frequently using the element of surprise in swift pursuit of a meal.  But the peregrine falcon hunts at an especially high speed, sometimes up to 200 mph, making it the fastest animal on Earth. The red-tailed hawk, Cooper's hawk, Harris' hawk, osprey, bald eagle,  prairie falcon, American kestrel and peregrine falcon seem to make up the majority of the many raptors that call the Phoenix area a year-round home.  While I've regularly encountered and photographed the first seven of these eight birds on my outdoor forays, the last has until now eluded me.  On a recent birding expedition to Gilbert's Water Ranch I was amazed by the vast number of northern shovelers on the riparian preserve's ponds.  I've regularly encountered this seaso...