Fighting Curlews And This Photographer’s Rookie Mistake

Occasionally I’ll make a post that illustrates a mistake I’ve made as a photographer in the hope that it will help me to learn from my error and possibly even enlighten some of my viewers who may be bird photographers.  Well, last week I made a doozy of a mistake!

I had been photographing a pair of Long-billed Curlews on Antelope Island and as per usual for me I was using my 500 f/4 with attached 1.4 tc, which when combined with the crop factor of my Canon 7D gives me an effective focal length of 1120mm.   Suddenly a second male unexpectedly flew in to challenge the original male and immediately all hell broke loose.  The action was incredibly quick with wings, legs, long bills and tails flailing in every direction and it turns out that I was simply too close to the birds with my lens and tc combination to prevent clipping body parts in most of my images of the fight.  I remember thinking I should take off the tc but I was afraid that by the time I had done so the action would be over.  That was a mistake – the altercation lasted for several minutes and I had plenty of time to switch.

I decided to post some of the series anyway because the tightness on the birds gives an intimate look at some of the details of the squabble but I’ll be the first to admit that I’d trade those details in a heartbeat for having not clipped and cut off body parts.

 

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There were no preliminaries.  The battle began immediately after the second male touched down.

 

 

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They used their incredibly long bills for both biting and stabbing.

 

 

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They would break apart for an instant, seeming to be sizing each other up…

 

 

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and then almost immediately go at it again.

 

 

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It’s my working theory that many fighting birds, particularly wading and shorebirds with long bills, instinctively go for the eye of the opponent in a fight.  This one missed this time but it was close…

 

 

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Wings were also used as weapons and wing slaps were sometimes effective in knocking the other bird off its feet.

 

 

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En Garde!

 

 

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For a second or two they stood like this in threatening poses…

 

 

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Then they moved a few feet to a more grassy fighting arena but eventually the bird on the left threw in the towel and flew off.

 

 

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However this bird paid a price.  Its eye had apparently been injured during the tussle and as soon as the vanquished bird left the area this curlew immediately perched on a buffalo chip for several minutes, keeping its right eye closed most of the time it was there.  Eventually it wandered off and by then the eye seemed to have partially recovered.

The next time a situation like this arises I’m sure I’ll remember to take off the tc.  It’ll be my luck though that by the time I get it switched out the action will be over – one of the chances you take as a bird photographer…

Ron

***Note:  All photos taken at ISO 500 with shutter speeds between 1/1600 and 1/3200 and an f stop of either 6.3 or 7.1.  Images globally sharpened – didn’t have time for masking the birds this time.

9 Comments

  1. Can I join the vote that says that the cropped images focuses the viewer on the action. This was an incredible sequence. Thank you so much.

  2. I am with Ingrid, Ron. No imperfections that I can see. You shouldn’t be knocking yourself out over this. This is a superb collection of images from a close-up fight. Magnificent. The clipped wings go vertually un-noticed by the viewer, because the interest is centered on the action.

  3. I concur with Ingrid- the cropped wings might not score points with those looking for a traditionally framed shot, but nothing was lost from the essence of the confrontation. A great sequence that illustrates the seriousness of what often appear to us as innocuous bird squabbles.

  4. Amazing action Ron, and a good close recording of the combatants. I can fully appreciate one’s apprehension to pause when the action is occurring-always a bit of a gamble we almost always refuse to make. Given the images are not to your usual artistic standard however does not diminish their value from a behavioral perspective, and here you captured some remarkable behavior-congrats!

    • Thanks Chuck. Yeah, it’s always a gamble to fiddle with that tc when action breaks out. At least I’m getting much faster at it than I used to be.

  5. First, what a spectacular series, Ron! I’ve never seen curlews engaged in this type of battle and always consider them among my most peaceful bird photography experiences. I know what you’re saying about the cropping. At the same time, I think there’s a lot of power in the cropped images for, as you say, the intimate look they afford. There are obviously great bird images with wings nearly cropped out of the shot, focusing on the power of the eye or face. I consider these among them. But you know me … always taking a stand for the unconventional in the image. 🙂

    • I’m glad you like the images Ingrid – imperfections and all. This was an amazing display of speed and aggression to watch and photograph – the only time I’ve seen something similar was last year with Willets.

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