Feathered Photography http://featheredphotography.com/blog Ron Dudley's blog, devoted primarily to bird photography and bird behaviors Sat, 19 May 2012 01:50:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Pied-billed Grebe With A Mouthful http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/18/pied-billed-grebe-with-a-mouthful/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pied-billed-grebe-with-a-mouthful http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/18/pied-billed-grebe-with-a-mouthful/#comments Sat, 19 May 2012 01:42:40 +0000 Ron Dudley http://featheredphotography.com/blog/?p=5638 Just a single shot this time.

I’m often blown away by the ability of some species to swallow huge prey whole when I have trouble gulping down anything much larger than an aspirin without chewing it first.

 

1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

A few months [...]]]> Just a single shot this time.

I’m often blown away by the ability of some species to swallow huge prey whole when I have trouble gulping down anything much larger than an aspirin without chewing it first.

 

pied-billed-grebe-6811

 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

A few months ago I watched and photographed this Pied-billed Grebe as it tried to get this fish down its gullet for 13 minutes.  Other grebes attempting to steal the prize didn’t make the process an easy one but eventually the bird was successful.  It’s not readily apparent in this shot but the fish was much wider than the head of the grebe.

I could hardly believe what I saw…

Ron

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]]> http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/18/pied-billed-grebe-with-a-mouthful/feed/ 1 An Osprey, A Fish And A Thieving Magpie http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/17/an-osprey-a-fish-and-a-thieving-magpie/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-osprey-a-fish-and-a-thieving-magpie http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/17/an-osprey-a-fish-and-a-thieving-magpie/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 14:41:45 +0000 Ron Dudley http://featheredphotography.com/blog/?p=5596 Yesterday Mia and I returned from a three day camping and photo trip to Flaming Gorge. We had great weather for most of our time there and as usual the scenery and ambience were awesome. At an elevation over 6000′ many of the birds that we usually see there apparently haven’t arrived yet but we [...]]]> Yesterday Mia and I returned from a three day camping and photo trip to Flaming Gorge.  We had great weather for most of our time there and as usual the scenery and ambience were awesome.  At an elevation over 6000′ many of the birds that we usually see there apparently haven’t arrived yet but we spent some quality time with a pair of nesting Osprey – a species that I’ve had little luck with in the past.

 

osprey-0345

 1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

This pole with all the attached ugly hardware was within a few feet of the nesting platform and early one morning this Osprey landed on the pole with a freshly caught fish.  At first I figured that this bird would deliver the fish to its mate on the nest (I have a lot to learn about this species) but it didn’t.  It’s intention was to eat the fish itself but as you’ll see, those plans were delayed by an interloper.

 

 

osprey-0450

It didn’t take long for this Black-billed Magpie to show up and torment the rightful owner of the fish.  This Osprey removed and dropped the intestines in pieces and it seemed obvious to me that the magpie had learned that particular feeding pattern and came looking for  tidbits that had landed on the wires below the Osprey.  Here you can see one of those bits in the beak of the magpie that it had picked off of the metal above its head.   So far the Osprey doesn’t seem too concerned.

When the magpie showed up I removed my teleconverter and started shooting vertically (which wasn’t easy from inside my pickup through the window).   For this image and all of the following ones the techs are: 1/2000 to 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4. 

 

 

osprey-0451

As soon as it swallowed the first tidbit it began looking for more.  If you look carefully you can see some intestine hanging down over the side of the post and I believe that’s what the magpie has its eye on in this image.

 

 

osprey-0455

So the magpie decided to make an attempt at pilfering the hanging piece of gut but the Osprey didn’t take kindly to that notion.

 

 

osprey-0457

The magpie hovered just out of range for a few seconds…

 

 

osprey-0458

but the fierce response of the Osprey…

 

 

osprey-0461

caused it to put off the attempt.

 

 

osprey-0467

But the magpie still wasn’t ready to give up completely.  Here you can see it seeming to plan its next maneuver.

 

 

osprey-0478

It tries again but in the end doesn’t dare risk getting close…

 

 

osprey-0481

and once again settles on the post at a safe distance.

 

 

osprey-0488

I’m not really sure what’s going on in this last shot but the way the Osprey is holding the fish out over the pole makes me smile because it almost looks like it’s taunting the magpie – daring it to come in closer and see what happens if it does.

I missed one entire series of shots when the magpie flew up close to the Osprey because I lost focus shooting vertically in my awkward position in the pickup.  I’m curious about what I missed.

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]]> http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/17/an-osprey-a-fish-and-a-thieving-magpie/feed/ 9 Barn Owl In Flight http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/15/barn-owl-in-flight/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=barn-owl-in-flight http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/15/barn-owl-in-flight/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 10:00:24 +0000 Ron Dudley http://featheredphotography.com/blog/?p=5568 Despite the simple gray background this is one of my favorite shots of a Barn Owl in flight.

 

1/2000, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

Getting a catch light in a Barn Owl in flight is no easy task due to their reluctance to fly in good light and [...]]]> Despite the simple gray background this is one of my favorite shots of a Barn Owl in flight.

 

barn-owl-0603

 1/2000, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

Getting a catch light in a Barn Owl in flight is no easy task due to their reluctance to fly in good light and their deeply set eyes.  This is one of my few shots where the early morning sun was low enough and its angle on the bird’s eye was just right to provide not only light in the eye but a good strong catch light.  The presence or absence of a catch light can make or break an image and I’m very glad I got one here.

Ron

 

 

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]]> http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/15/barn-owl-in-flight/feed/ 5 Grebe Panic http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/14/grebe-panic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=grebe-panic http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/14/grebe-panic/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 12:17:32 +0000 Ron Dudley http://featheredphotography.com/blog/?p=5578 These aren’t great images technically but I thought they documented a fascinating phenomenon well enough.

Yesterday there were thousands of these grebes at the first bridge along the Antelope Island causeway. They were actively feeding at the current boundary where the water coming under the bridge met the still water in the north arm of [...]]]> These aren’t great images technically but I thought they documented a fascinating phenomenon well enough.

Yesterday there were thousands of these grebes at the first bridge along the Antelope Island causeway.  They were actively feeding at the current boundary where the water coming under the bridge met the still water in the north arm of the Great Salt Lake so they were bunched up in incredibly thick masses.  Several species of gulls were also present.

 

grebe-panic-9698

Each time a gull would pass over the grebes, those directly underneath the gulls would panic and dive into the very shallow water in front of the gull which would create quite the stir in the water.  Those grebes just a few inches to either side didn’t react which created a dramatic visual phenomenon as the frothy splash moved in front of and directly beneath the gull.

 

 

grebe-panic-9707

Those times the gulls flew along the length of the mass of grebes the “splash” would travel exactly the same speed as the gull for perhaps 75 yards.  This was one of the few times when shooting birds that I wish I’d practiced more with the video capabilities of my Canon 7D.  That would be a video that I’d like to see many times as it was quite the spectacle to watch.

Ron

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]]> http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/14/grebe-panic/feed/ 2 A Birthday Bounty Of Bear River Birds http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/12/a-birthday-bounty-of-bear-river-birds/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-birthday-bounty-of-bear-river-birds http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/12/a-birthday-bounty-of-bear-river-birds/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 12:27:01 +0000 Ron Dudley http://featheredphotography.com/blog/?p=5524 Wednesday of this past week was my “medicare birthday”. I’m sure older readers will understand why my psyche needed some bolstering and I felt justified in burning up some extra gas and putting even more miles on my pickup for a trip to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to help take my mind off of [...]]]> Wednesday of this past week was my “medicare birthday”.  I’m sure older readers will understand why my psyche needed some bolstering and I felt justified in burning up some extra gas and putting even more miles on my pickup for a trip to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to help take my mind off of my advancing age.  It was worth the trip!  While I didn’t get any truly spectacular shots it was a wonderful morning with excellent weather and light, lots of cooperative birds and great company – thanks to Mia.  The only downside was that I had 35 gigs of images to cull when I got home…

A couple of notes about my techs:  a), regular readers are probably aware that I nearly always shoot with the 1.4 tc attached to my 500 mm.  On this morning I got so close to many of the birds that almost half of the images I’ve posted here were taken without the tc and b), many of these images were taken with a very high shutter speed which is typical for me since I’m usually set up for action shots after firing off a few times on more traditional poses.

All photos are presented in the order they were taken.
short-eared-owl-7625

 1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

On the road to the refuge we came across a pair of Short-eared Owls cavorting in the air right after the sun came up.  One of the owls was “sky dancing” but by the time I got the pickup turned around for a better light angle we missed that performance.  One of the birds vamoosed immediately but the other owl gave us a couple of flybys and I got a few shots in the low and directional light.

 

 

great-blue-heron-7641

 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 A few minutes later this Great Blue Heron came by reasonably close and I couldn’t resist firing off a few shots even though it was slightly past me by the time I locked on.

 

 

american-avocet-7680

 1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4

The ubiquitous American Avocet at Bear River – a species that I prefer to shoot in the very early morning for the better chance at getting a good exposure on the blacks and whites.

 

 

great-and-snowy-egrets-7766

 1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4

At one small pond we found three species gorging themselves on fish – Snowy Egrets, Forster’s Terns and a single Great Egret.  I’m always surprised by the dramatic size difference between Snowy Egrets and Great Egrets and I thought this shot illustrated that fact pretty well.  By weight the Great Egret is about 2 1/2 times larger than the Snowy Egret.

 

 

great-egret 7796

 13200, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4

The Great Egret almost flew off as we approached but I did so extra slowly and in the end it decided that we weren’t a threat.  If we’d been on foot we’d have never have been able to get this close – one of the several advantages of shooting from a vehicle.  This bird seemed to be able to snag fish at will and caught several of them while we watched.  I don’t get many chances at this species so this one was a treat for me.

 

 

forsters-tern-7981

 1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4

Soon after we arrived at the pond a couple of Forster’s Terns decided to share in the fish bounty and they worked the pond for quite a while.  Though I spent most of my time shooting the Great Egret I did get a few shots of the terns with wing positions that I liked.

 

 

forsters-tern-7995

 1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4

 I find it to be incredibly difficult to get light in the eye of terns, especially in flight.  Which means that I end up deleting most of my shots of them but I liked this one for the dynamic flight posture combined with a good catch light.

 

 

barn-swallow-8315

 1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

Bear River is well-known for its swallows – thousands of them of several species.   It’s somewhat difficult getting them in a natural setting because they’re usually perched on man-made structures like bridges and pavilions.  So you can either try to get them in flight (truly a lesson in frustration) or look for them perched in the vegetation as you cross one of the smaller bridges on the loop road.  The problem there is that the background is often very busy but at least it’s a natural setting.

 

 

barn-swallow-8403

 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 This Barn Swallow gave me a variety of stretching poses in nice light.

 

 

white-faced-ibis-8488

 1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4

When I found this White-faced Ibis feeding close to the road I spent some time trying to catch it tossing its invertebrate prey in the air before swallowing it and I succeeded about a half-dozen times.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen an individual with such a pronounced “white face”.

 

 

black-crowned-night-heron-8559

 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

My experience with Black-crowned Night Herons is that they’re usually quite secretive and spooky so I don’t have many images of them where the bird is out in the open against a clean background.  This bird was the exception and for that I was grateful.

 

 

black-crowned-night-heron-8619

  1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 When it took off I was able to get it almost full frame.  I do wish I had a little more depth of field but that’s the price you pay for being so close when the wings are out.

 

 

forsters-terns-8826

  1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

As we headed down the last stretch of our second (and last) trip around the loop road we came across this pair of Forster’s Terns on a floating matt of reeds.  I believe this to be a mated pair beginning nesting activities on the matt as last year we found a nesting pair on a similar matt in almost the same place.  Every time another tern flew by both birds would begin calling raucously and displaying like this which I suspect is a defensive/threat behavior over the potential nesting site.  I was able to get many images of interesting poses like this but tossed most of them because either one of the birds was soft or I clipped some wings or (most often) there was no catch light in either or both birds eyes.  Frustrating…

It was a spectacular morning at Bear River and a wonderful way to celebrate (mourn) my birthday.

Ron

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]]> http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/12/a-birthday-bounty-of-bear-river-birds/feed/ 12 American Kestrel Eating A Vole (graphic) http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/09/american-kestrel-eating-a-vole-graphic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=american-kestrel-eating-a-vole-graphic http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/09/american-kestrel-eating-a-vole-graphic/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 23:00:12 +0000 Ron Dudley http://featheredphotography.com/blog/?p=5484 A couple of months ago I came across this female American Kestrel along the causeway to Antelope Island. She had captured a vole and was in the process of eating it while perched on a road sign. The images I’ve presented here aren’t pretty and won’t appeal to everyone but as I’ve said many times [...]]]> A couple of months ago I came across this female American Kestrel along the causeway to Antelope Island.  She had captured a vole and was in the process of eating it while perched on a road sign.  The images I’ve presented here aren’t pretty and won’t appeal to everyone but as I’ve said many times before I’m fascinated by behaviors.

 

american-kestrel-0530

1//1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

She had already decapitated the vole and was in the process of disemboweling it when I found her.  Kestrels routinely discard the intestines and she had previously removed the small intestine (portions of which can be seen near the underside of the tail).   Here she is dropping the coiled mass of the large intestine.  As she attempted to eat the vole the large intestine was right in front of her on the perch and she apparently found its presence right under her face as she dined to be offensive and distracting so she repeatedly tried to drop it over the edge of the sign to get rid of it.  Three times she picked it up and dropped it but each time it landed on the edge of the wooden post without going over the edge.

 

 

american-kestrel-0537

 1//1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 t

 Finally, on the third attempt, she succeeded in dropping it over the edge, but just barely.

 

 

american-kestrel-0580

 1//2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 t

 Now with her dining table cleaned up she was able to attend to the rest of her meal.  There was a brisk wind and as she pulled off a piece of the pelt the breeze blew it between her legs.

 

 

american-kestrel-0587

  1//2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 t

 The effort of skinning the vole put her body in a variety of awkward positions and when a wind gust would come along it would often almost blow her off the perch.

 

 

american-kestrel-0590

  1//2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 t

 Here she’s catching her balance without being distracted from her goal.

 

 

american-kestrel-0605

  1//2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 t

 More pulling…

 

 

american-kestrel-0609

  1//2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 t

 and tugging…

 

 

american-kestrel-0620

  1//2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 t

 and finally the piece of hide is pulled away but again the breeze puts her off-balance as she tries to discard it with her left foot.

 

 

american-kestrel-0635

  1//2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 t

 And then there’s still more hide to pull off but eventually…

 

 

american-kestrel-0691

  1//2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 t

she’s able to enjoy the more appetizing portions of the vole.

I’ve seen kestrels both discard the pelt and eat it.  In my experience they consume it more often during winter when food demands are higher and voles more difficult to find.

Ron

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]]> http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/09/american-kestrel-eating-a-vole-graphic/feed/ 6 Northern Harrier Defending Its Meal http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/07/northern-harrier-defending-its-meal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=northern-harrier-defending-its-meal http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/07/northern-harrier-defending-its-meal/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 11:24:33 +0000 Ron Dudley http://featheredphotography.com/blog/?p=5457 Long ago I posted some images of Northern Harriers fighting over this Mallard but I have other shots of the fracas that I’ve never posted so I thought I’d share some of them today.

 

1/1250, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

For the moment this bird has sole control [...]]]> Long ago I posted some images of Northern Harriers fighting over this Mallard but I have other shots of the fracas that I’ve never posted so I thought I’d share some of them today.

 

northern-harrier-8770

 1/1250, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

For the moment this bird has sole control over the duck but it knows the situation to be tenuous at best.  The wings-out pose and fierce look are fair warning to the other harriers in the vicinity (and there are lots of them) that any attempt to share in the feast will be met with resistance.

 

 

northern-harrier-8790

 1/1250, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

These birds have been starving because of a brutally cold and snowy winter so this harrier begins a frenzy of feeding in an attempt to swallow as much food as possible before other birds move in.

 

 

northern-harrier-8858

 1/1250, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 And it doesn’t take long before all hell breaks loose.  At this point I often wasn’t getting enough depth of field for multiple birds so decided to risk f/10 and a slower shutter speed for the rest of the session.

 

 

northern-harrier-8890

 1/800, f/10, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 I was lacking in both shutter speed and depth of field for this shot and I’m not happy with the shadow on the face but liked the talons on the back.

 

 

northern-harrier-89021/800, f/10, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 For a few moments both birds tolerated each other on the duck but that didn’t last long…

 

 

northern-harrier-8904

 1/800, f/10, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 before one of the harriers gave up temporarily and retreated.

 

 

northern-harrier-8913

 1/800, f/10, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 This time around the interloper landed some distance from the duck and attempted to sneak up (very slowly) behind the other harrier.  This image always brings a smile to my face.

 

 

northern-harrier-8920

 1/800, f/10, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

But when it got close and it became obvious that the harrier on the duck wasn’t going to relinquish the prize easily it apparently decided that discretion is the better part of valor and assumed a relaxed pose while the other bird tore at the feathers and meat.

My morning with these harriers was one I’ll not soon forget, for a variety of reasons.

Ron

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]]> http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/07/northern-harrier-defending-its-meal/feed/ 7 Black-necked Stilt Stretching and Preening http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/05/black-necked-stilt-stretching-and-preening/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=black-necked-stilt-stretching-and-preening http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/05/black-necked-stilt-stretching-and-preening/#comments Sat, 05 May 2012 15:31:33 +0000 Ron Dudley http://featheredphotography.com/blog/?p=5431 The Black-necked Stilt is an elegant study in contrasts with its white breast and shiny black wings accentuated by extremely long, bright red legs. They’re often found feeding near American Avocets and I’ve routinely been able to get preening and stretching images of avocets but the stilts have been less cooperative with me. Typically they’ll [...]]]> The Black-necked Stilt is an elegant study in contrasts with its white breast and shiny black wings accentuated by extremely long, bright red legs.  They’re often found feeding near American Avocets and I’ve routinely been able to get preening and stretching images of avocets but the stilts have been less cooperative with me.  Typically they’ll actively feed when I’m near but they always seem to fly off to do their self-maintenance.

 

black-necked-stilt-2612

 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

However, this bird apparently decided that flying off was too much effort and it unexpectedly began a series of stretches.

 

 

black-necked-stilt-2614

 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

I was able to photograph a variety of interesting poses but by this time the sun was relatively high and so some of the best shots are missing light in the eye.   Stilts often pull their leg up over the wing when scratching the head.

 

 

black-necked-stilt-2629

 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 Because these birds are usually wading in water when I’m photographing them the extreme length of their legs is not always evident but catch one in a pose like this and it becomes quite apparent.

 

 

black-necked-stilt-2671

 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 I like the water splash and pose in this shot.

 

 

black-necked-stilt-27081/2500, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 Here the stilt has finished stretching for the moment and is contemplating its next move…

 

 

black-necked-stilt-2725

 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 which turned out to be preening the underside of the wing.

 

 

black-necked-stilt-27381/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

Then it turned and walked a little closer to the background vegetation and stretched the same leg as before.

The setting in these images might be a little busy for the tastes of some but I liked the poses and reflections.

Ron

 

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]]> http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/05/black-necked-stilt-stretching-and-preening/feed/ 4 Sagebrush Perches http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/01/sagebrush-perches/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sagebrush-perches http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/01/sagebrush-perches/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 00:35:49 +0000 Ron Dudley http://featheredphotography.com/blog/?p=5387 For me there’s just something wonderful about sagebrush. In fact, lots of things.

When sagebrush is wet its smell is almost intoxicating (at least it is for me). When walking through it that scent comes wafting up and my mind can’t help but wander through old memories and cowboy songs. I love the silvery-gray-green color [...]]]> For me there’s just something wonderful about sagebrush.  In fact, lots of things.

When sagebrush is wet its smell is almost intoxicating (at least it is for me).  When walking through it that scent comes wafting up and my mind can’t help but wander through old memories and cowboy songs.   I love the silvery-gray-green color it lends to a hillside.  The presence of sagebrush is essential for many species for nesting, habitat, protection or food.   Sage Sparrows, Sage Thrashers and Loggerhead Shrikes nest within the plant and larks, Burrowing Owls and Long-billed Curlews nest on the ground in stands of sagebrush.  Sagebrush dominates the diet of the Sage Grouse during late fall, winter and early spring.

It also makes for an interesting perch for bird photography even though its growth patterns often put obstructions in front of the bird.  Since sage is the dominant plant of the Great Basin in many areas I have regular opportunities to photograph birds perched on it.  The various species (Big Sage and Black Sage for example) provide variety in color and leaf shape and sometimes you catch the bird on bare twigs or branches or layers of snow/ice on top of the plant.

lark-sparrow-4976

 1/1000, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 I photographed this Lark Sparrow on sage yesterday – as you can see, the leaf colors are a soft silvery green in early spring.

 

 

loggerhead shrike 5546

 1/2000, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 And this Loggerhead Shrike is from this morning, with the Great Salt Lake (not sky) in the background.

 

 

sagebrush-shrike-8132

I thought I’d include this image of the same shrike on the same perch as the previous image to give a sense of place and perspective and also to show what most of the sagebrush plant looks like.  This shot was taken at 85 mm while the first one was at 700 mm.

 

 

burrowing-owl-1938

 1/640, f/10, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

Burrowing Owls, like this juvenile, like to perch on the top of sage on cool early mornings to bask in the sun.  I enjoy seeing the feathers stuck to the sage twigs.

 

 

willet-6764

 1/2500, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4

 And this time of year the Willets are flying from sage to boulder and back again while declaring their territories and impressing mates.

 

 

american-kestrel-8877

  1/800, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 In winter, ice often adds some interesting detail to a leafless branch as it did for this male American Kestrel.

 

 

white-crowned-sparrow-8373

  1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

Occasionally I’ll find a sparrow, lark or thrasher down low on one of the main sage branches.  Typically the light is poor down there but this juvenile White Crowned Sparrow happened to park in a sunny spot for a change.

 

 

long-billed-curlew-2901

  1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 Long-billed Curlews occasionally perch on the sage but not as often as the Willets do.

 

 

chukar-3540 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4

 It’s rare to find a Chukar on the sagebrush – I’ve only seen it twice.  They usually skulk in the grass or hang out on top of boulders.

 

 

northern-mockingbird-6571

  1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4

 This is one very upset Northern Mockingbird.  It apparently had a nest in the sagebrush to the left and a Loggerhead Shrike came in looking for breakfast.  The confrontation was very loud and lasted several minutes.

 

 

loggerhead-shrike-5812

  1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

 This Loggerhead Shrike and its mate were building a nest in a sagebrush within a few feet of this favorite sage perch.  The nesting material in the shrikes bill and feet is bison fur.

 

 

burrowing-owls-2455

  1/250, f/13, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

This was an opportunity that both excited and frustrated me – three juvenile Burrowing Owls on a dead sagebrush perch with early, warm light and a background I liked a lot.  But shooting with my long lens and teleconverter just doesn’t allow for much depth of field and even f/13 didn’t get the bird on the left quite as sharp as I’d have liked.  Notice the difference in the size of the pupils - makes me wonder if the front two birds had turned their heads toward me a split second before I took the shot – which didn’t give the pupils quite enough time to accomodate.  That’s my theory anyway…

Ron

 

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]]> http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/05/01/sagebrush-perches/feed/ 8 Just A Shot That I Like… #26 – Rough-legged Hawk In Flight With Prey http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/04/29/just-a-shot-that-i-like-26-rough-legged-hawk-in-flight-with-prey/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=just-a-shot-that-i-like-26-rough-legged-hawk-in-flight-with-prey http://featheredphotography.com/blog/2012/04/29/just-a-shot-that-i-like-26-rough-legged-hawk-in-flight-with-prey/#comments Sun, 29 Apr 2012 22:08:12 +0000 Ron Dudley http://featheredphotography.com/blog/?p=5369 I’ve been lucky in the past to get some nice shots of Short-eared Owls in flight carrying prey but my luck with hawks in the same situation has been abysmal. Whenever the opportunity does present itself it’s usually when the hawk has taken off away from me so all I get is another butt shot [...]]]> I’ve been lucky in the past to get some nice shots of Short-eared Owls in flight carrying prey but my luck with hawks in the same situation has been abysmal.  Whenever the opportunity does present itself it’s usually when the hawk has taken off away from me so all I get is another butt shot with the head and eye hidden.

 

rough-legged-hawk-1951

 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc

These birds typically want to take off into the wind and on this day the wind direction was just right so that the hawk didn’t fly away from me as it lifted off.  So I got good light, an acceptable wing position and even a nice look at the vole with its eye visible.

Ron

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