Gyrfalcon
© Bruce MactavishGyrfalcon
A St. John's man is the envy of the local birdwatching community for being at the right place at the right time.

Bruce Mactavish, an avid birdwatcher, captured some spectacular shots of a white gyrfalcon at Cape Spear on the weekend.

The white bird-of-prey is the largest of the falcons, and native to the high Arctic. It is rarely seen as far south as the Avalon Peninsula.

Mactavish's photos are being widely shared within the birdwatching community.

Gyrfalcon
© Bruce MactavishGyrfalcon
The bird had been spotted in the area for a couple of days, and he was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time as it flew over the parking lot.

He says the stars aligned perfectly for the shots. He says he was ready and his settings on the camera happened to be just right. When the bird flew overhead, he just started snapping.

He says it's one of a number of gyrfalcons spotted along the Avalon in the last few days. He had gone down to Cape Spear earlier in the week and saw the bird, but the picture-taking wasn't optimal.

It wasn't until Sunday that he got the right shots.

Gyrfalcon
© Bruce Mactavish