Last summer at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge I slowly approached this bathing Willet in my pickup, fully expecting the bird to either fly off or wander further away in the shallow water of Lower Red Rock Lake.
1/2000, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
It eyed me warily until I had turned off the engine…
1/2000, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
but it was so intent on its bath that it quickly went back to minding its hygiene.
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
For this shot the Willet turned its back on me a little but I liked the shot because it shows the furious action at the rear of the bird.
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
With water and feathers flying everywhere…
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
it finally gave me a bit of a head turn again as it spread and raised its tail feathers for a good cleaning.
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4
Then it hopped up on the shore for a vigorous shake.
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4
By this time it had approached me so closely that I had to take off my teleconverter but even so I was tight enough on the bird that I wasn’t able to get the composition I would have preferred for these last three shots.
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4
Once all the loose water was shaken out of the feathers it was time for a wing stretch…
1/2500, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4
and a few hops in place for good measure. Then it settled its feathers, looked at me one last time and leisurely flew off.
I had forgotten about this bathing sequence until earlier this week when I began anticipating the imminent return of Willets to Antelope Island. Can hardly wait…
Ron
just discovered this site…wonderful! Made me want to go swimming…reminded me of a bird I saw flapping through dew-laden branches early one morning. At first I thought it was wounded, but soon realized it was taking a bath in the wet leaves. I think it might have been a cardinal, but my memory’s to foggy to be sure. Whereas human behavior is so often enraging and depressing, animal behavior fascinates. elates (and sometimes horrifies) me. I wonder if you or any others of “Ron’s Rangers” have seen this, My guess is it happens a lot.
Simply fantastic! I love these shots.
A great series of images, Ron.
Very nice series Ron!
Thank you. What a lovely sequence. Are they water birds?
It is anthromorphism I know, but don’t they seem to love their bath. Our cockatoos and galahs will hang upside down from the telephone lines fanning first one wing, then the other in a shower. For all the world as if they are washing their underarms.
Thank you Elephant’s Child, Yes, these birds are commoon on beaches and in coastal salt marshes but in the spring we see them on the higher slopes of Antelope Island among the sagebrush too.