Juvenile Gyrfalcon – Falco rusticolus. Image taken 7 July, 2014 at an eyrie in Western Alaska.

I’m working on research that is meant to highlight the key parts of what Gyrfalcons eat while they are raising their young, and how any changes may impact their ability to thrive. I’ve gained an appreciation for the amount of effort and energy that is required to transform an egg into a Gyrfalcon capable of flight. The entire lives of the parents during this period revolves around the need for food and the care of the young. It is an impressive spectacle, and a wonder that they are able to put out young so successfully.

Additionally, I’ve come to an appreciation of the fact that the existence of these creatures depends solely on the destruction of other life. They destroy to thrive. This fact seems almost antithetical, but it touches upon an absolute in nature. That absolute is that both the burgeon and termination of life is all part of the natural flow of energy. This absolute keeps me on my path to explore birdlife and ensure that this flow continues for as long as I am responsible.