Peregrine Falcon Flying with Prey

Our bird photo tour continued this morning on Nickerson Beach NY. The late afternoon session is still to come, but I greatly doubt that I will surpass this blip: A Peregrine Falcon in full flight with an Common Tern chick; seen from below. (Edit (at 10 pm EDT): when I first posted this I called the little bird an American Oystercatcher; Denise (see below) also photographed a peregrine at about the same time, and looked at her images in the camera just afterwards; she thought the prey was an oystercatcher. It is possible that two peregrines were working the flocks at the same time (which they often do) and that we photographed two different falcons with different captive birds. Denise and I will compare notes images and notes tomorrow [Edit: that indeed seems to be the case].

In any case: I posted the blip before our "dinner" in midafternoon, Denise found it on her phone, and everyone was impressed :)

The shot was preceded by a series of blast-offs--seemingly every bird on the beach took flight. It wasn't clear why until Denise, one of our guides cried out, "Peregrine Falcon." It passed close enough for a series of shots, though still needing a severe crop. The little bird's head is visible, as well as its wings below the falcon's tail.

More later.