Merlin

I quickly set up the camera and tripod when this Merlin landed in front of me and began eating a dragon fly.

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Ed just a wonderful image here. Merlin continue to elude me. A touch of fill flash might have lightened the shadow on the wing and shoulder but I'd still love to have this in my collection.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time....man that's a nice shot! I've never seen one of these beauties!

Good catch... Man, and I thought the dragon flies were big around here!!!

What a great catch. Beautiful.

Terrific shot!

Stephen Stephen wrote in post #8499369
Ed just a wonderful image here. Merlin continue to elude me. A touch of fill flash might have lightened the shadow on the wing and shoulder but I'd still love to have this in my collection.

Thanks Stephen !
Fill flash ptobably would have worked if I had been close enough, (and had an external flash, along with the Better Beamer), but ,,,,,

ajosteve wrote in post #8499760
Talk about being in the right place at the right time....man that's a nice shot! I've never seen one of these beauties!

Thanks Steve !
It has been performing for us every evening this past few weeks.

Stormin_24 wrote in post #8500370
Good catch... Man, and I thought the dragon flies were big around here!!!

Thanks Norman !

canonloader wrote in post #8500431
What a great catch. Beautiful.

Thanks Mitch !

jgrussell wrote in post #8500579
Terrific shot!

Thanks jgr !

What a beautiful capture...and elegant image...

Suspicions confirmed with the Merlin eating the dragonfly. I spent two weeks photographing three Merlin fledglings on the shore of Lake Superior. One of them kept skimming the water and picking something up that was quite small... he would fly across the bay and perch in a dead birch and eat it. I could not see what it was because of the distance... but it took place during the height of the dragonfly outbreak... I thought that's what he was eating, but I couldn't be sure.... great post, thanks.

db

Quite common food for Kestrels also.

Great capture.

Fantastic shot, what luck eh? The 50D sure captures some detail too, even the veins of the dragonfly wings are clearly visible. Hobbies also catch and eat dragonflies on the wing, this shot was quite far away and the lens was a faulty loan unit I had so was a bit soft, but you get the idea.

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Thanks everyone for the nice comments !

Great catch, Edward. Super image quality.

Thanks Harvey !