May 23, 2013
Prairie Falcon in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

I hate it when I have to take photographs like this. :) You see, there was a nice bright overcast early yesterday afternoon, so instead of staying in the RV to take a nap, I was forced to go out to see what I could photograph. That's because one of the top rules of a nature photographer is that if you're not out in the field, then you're definitely going to miss the shot.

I was really surprised to come across this Prairie Falcon eating a Uinta Ground Squirrel in the middle of the nicely manicured lawn across from the Mammoth Visitor Center. I was even more surprised when it was still there after I found a place to park came back to a location where I could photograph it. It was quite tolerant as several other photographers arrived and it stayed put long enough for me to circle around for a better vantage point.

After more and more photographers arrived, the falcon wasn't comfortable with all of the attention and tried to drag its food somewhere safe to eat. It must have been a lot of effort to move the ground squirrel, because after moving it only about 10 yds (9m), it abandoned its meal and flew away to escape the paparazzi.