This is a flight posture I rarely post.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed this Ferruginous Hawk on June 2 of last year in Tooele County. The hawk had recently taken off (3 frames earlier) which is apparent by its trailing and still partially lowered feet. Part of the appeal of this image for me is the background – the Stansbury Mountains below and blue sky above.
Generally with raptor flight shots I prefer their wings in an up or down position, partly because those positions are more dramatic than horizontal wings. But there’s another reason for that preference – with large, long-winged birds (this species has a wingspan approaching 5′) and with my lens I seldom have enough depth of field to get their wingtips even close to sharp when they’re in this position. Blurry wingtips just don’t have much appeal for me.
But for some reason I can’t adequately explain both wingtips of this hawk are sharp and I liked that enough to post the image despite the wing position that tends to not be my favorite. For me the curled primaries are a bonus.
And besides, it’s a Ferrug! I don’t get many chances with them, especially in flight.
Ron
PS – Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there!
IMHO, a Ferrug portrait is not a Ferrug portrait unless you can see the huge gape- so this qualifies on that count too. I had the joy of rehabbing an underweight one recently. I’d toss in a rat, go fill the water dish, look back to see the rat had disappeared. Poof! Toss in another, and Poof! again. Still cannot believe how much food these guys can gulp down.
great photo….and yes, you’ve got to have mountains!
For some reason, this makes me think of a super hero( minus the cape, of course)…love the curled primaries and the laser focus–that of a true hero on his way to rescue the damsel in distress…
Loved your perspective on the image, Patty.
I watch Wild Photo Adventures on Oregon Public Broadcasting. He is not just a nature photo person, but share his techiques as well. I appreciate your listing of your info on stops, camera etc. Some day I hope to afford the Canon level you both have reached.
Canon’s a good way to go, Thomas. I hope it happens for you.
Love that curl. Awed by those feet.
Throwing Laura’s redundant crop of exclamations of awe and wonder at this image.
Thank you, EC.
Fantastic flight shot Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
Speaking of mountains, I love being near either mountains or the ocean. I feel lucky because I’ve lived by both.
Now to your photo, it is strikingly beautiful. I love the curled wingtips and the feet with those sharp talons.
Your photos expand my world. I thank you for that, Ron
Thanks, Alice. I’ve also lived near both but personally I prefer the mountains.
DARGH! Just spent an hour composing a response only to get “Page Not Found.” Of course, the hour’s work is gone, out in the ether somewhere.
What a spectacular shot! The Ferrug’s feathers are just so lusciously painted (for lack of a better term). I wish they lived here, but they don’t. Harrumph!
I’m with you on the mountains. I’m surrounded by mountains, and though they’re not the Rockies, I delight in watching the sun skip along them throughout the day and the seasons, playing with light and shadow, coloring them to please Mother Nature second by second.
This rewrite isn’t as pretty, but it’s the gist of its former self. Before I hit the send button, I’m going to copy it, just in case.
Oh yes, forgot to add how wonderful it is to see the curled wingtips and the almost-deployed landing gear (feet). I love raptors. They’re just too cool. But you might have noticed that I’m not that fussy with birds/critters–anybody outside of this silly human construct.
Laura, After many painful experiences like you describe when I’m responding to comments I now always copy what I’ve typed into my clipboard before I try to post my comment. That’s saved me a lot of frustration.
What a beautiful shot, love those sharp both primary wing tips. I don’t know how you did it with f6.3, a 500 and extender. That fact gives me pause to think seriously about taking a loan for a 500! Love to know if you have had any more trouble with your set-up/camera-lens etc.?
Dick, I’ve been having a possible problem with dirty contacts but haven’t been able to get out and test it since I cleaned them.
OK, but as soon as you do please give me a heads up either here or on e-mail. Many thanks!
I think the wings in this shot are quite dramatic. How often do you get to see the curled primaries so close up? I would have liked the image better with just a sky background, because for me it would make the details of the bird more easily seen.
Thanks, Susan. Interesting that you would prefer sky background. For me those backgrounds are a moderate negative…
No “buts” for today’s shot; that’s for dang sure! Spectacular!
Happy Mothers’ Day to all!
Thank you, Marty.
I once took a picture this good by accident. By no means am I a photographer, but I love your work and I love birds. My wife pointed out to me years ago that my potry has a lot of birds in it. I had not done that on purpose really, but birds are just part of my consciousness. Even the smallest are magnificent.
Thank you for another fine picture.
“I once took a picture this good by accident”
Wow, I’m impressed, Kevin – accident or not.
Ron – Good morning and Happy Mother’s Day to all moms, step-moms, grandmothers, etc. That is a gorgeous photo that could win many contests. And love the wingtips as they are. Great raptor photos with wingspans up or down are a dime a dozen, this photo is special. If I ever took a photo this good it would get framed. We have Ferruginous hawks from time to time, but I have never actually seen on to get a photo. Thanks for sharing this very special photo.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Thanks, Everett. I don’t see them very often either so almost any decent photo I get of one is special.
That is the first time I’ve ever seen the wings that way on a bird! Wonderful !
Years ago on Sanibel Island, the winds were blowing hard when the spoonbills were looking for food. One spoonbill spread his wings and the wind just took the wings and completely turned them upside down and the wings looked liked an umbrella over the spoonbill!
That must have been a sight to see, Adele!
Beautiful! Hawk and background both………:) A “hint” of what’s back there without distracting from the hawk. Always amazing how much flex the feathers have in them yet when we mess with them they break 😉 Love our place “in the hole” on Belt Creek yet also like being “up top” for the expanses of prairie and the Highwood and Little Belt Mountains in view.
Thanks, Judy. Sounds like you’ve got the best of both worlds.
Truly spectacular and extremely sharp! Looks as if he intentionally flew right in front of you. This is not a hawk I’ve been lucky enough to photograph. You are fortunate to have mountains to help provide a nice background and give a depth perspective. Here in farming country I have to hope I can get either horizon trees or there are clouds to help. 🙂
I love our mountains, Kathy – as backgrounds in my photos and just having them here. Don’t think I could live anywhere that didn’t have mountains in view…
Beautiful photo and bird – love the curled wing tips! I hope to see one of these birds some day. And many thanks for the photo tips in yesterday’s post.
Glad yesterday’s post was helpful to you, Joanne. Thanks.