Barred Owls And Peregrines in Woburn

 

On February 5th, I decided to try Horn Pond in Woburn, MA again. Two days ago, the temperature went down below freezing, and a sheet of ice finally covered the pond. The hooded mergansers weren't in their usual spot, near the parking lot. I decided to head down the path, toward the wetlands. I walked out onto a peninsula that apparently had a juvenile bald eagle perched on it earlier in the morning. No eagle, but there were HUNDREDS of ducks. The freezing wetlands and edges of the pond had forced all of the mallards, coots, mergansers, and geese into a long strip along the shore. Photographers were positioned along the shore, trying to get close to the action...

...Along the trail, there was a robin, and a downy woodpecker working on a nest cavity...

...I then decided to check the spot where I had seen a barred owl on my last visit. It was perched in the exact same, non-photogenic spot in the canopy of a young pine tree. It was asleep, and this was the best angle I could get on it...

                          Eventually, it breifly woke up to check me out, showing me a little bit

                                              of it's face, and then it fell back asleep...

I knew that there was another barred in the area. Both owls are the parents of a famous nest in a dead pine tree, closer to the wetlands. I'm hoping to spend time there this Spring. I made my way to the roost of the second owl. Almost immediately, I saw it up in one of the pines. It was in a way better spot than the first owl, and I got some decent photos...

It was trying to sleep, but my shutter alerted it a few times. It was perched along a hillside, so I was almost shooting at eye level. Here it is with it's eyes open...

I met with another wildlife photographer, Robert Barnes. He told me that the peregrine falcon's nest in southern Woburn had been active lately. I decided to head over once I finished photographing the owls.

I arrived at 3:20, and took a quick walk around. There was a small parking lot, which came up to a hundred-foot cliff. I looked around. I did not see any falcons at first. A loud raven was circling around with it's mate, cawing...

I then saw what I thought was a peregrine falcon gliding along the top of the cliff, but after looking into my viewfinder, I realized it was a cooper's hawk...

                  ...Finally, another bird appeared out of nowhere, and began soaring in circles. A falcon.

I watched as it flapped hard and sped up quickly. Peregrine falcons are the fastest animal on earth, with a top speed of 240 mph. It was going after another bird. It wasn't prey though, it was another falcon...

I apologize for the dirt on the lens. The attacking falcon let out a screech, and grabbed at it's target...

They both flew out of sight. For about 10 minutes, I couldn't find either of the falcons. Robert then messaged me, that he was with them. I went to the parking lot that he was shooting from. Both the male and female falcon were perched on the electrical poles.

The female "Sofia"

                                                            Sofia's new mate   ...picking his nose

I have not found the peregrines nest yet, but I will check again when the chicks are making noise, and photographers are swarming the cliff.