Category: Amateur
Location: San Pedro, California
Camera: SONY Alpha 1 with a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens; 1/3200 second at f/4.5; ISO 250
Behind the Shot: For many years, I have observed these falcons, which nest in a cliff above the Pacific Ocean at Point Fermin. To photograph them, I clamber over a cement barrier with my gear and stand on a windy cliff edge, waiting for the falcons to come together and perform their aerial ballet. This male snatches birds from the air at high speeds to offer to his partner during the breeding months, strengthening their bond and ensuring that the female is well-fed while she incubates eggs. Right before this shot, a piercing call broke the silence, and the male falcon appeared with prey in his beak. He dropped it, and in a heartbeat, the female falcon caught her gift. Witnessing the midair exchange fills me with hope that the next generation of peregrines will survive and thrive. Peregrine Falcon by Karen Bilgrai Cohen
