At least that’s what it looked like she was doing.
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 640, 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 her two days ago near Glover’s Pond in Farmington. Recent rains had filled a low area in a farmer’s field and there was an entire flock of Brewer’s Blackbirds in or near the large, shallow puddle. Some were foraging, one male was bathing and others just seemed to be enjoying the sunshine, the water and each other.
In situations like this where I have the opportunity to photograph both males and females of a species I have the tendency to concentrate on the males which are typically more colorful and that’s a bad habit. So this time I deliberately focused on a female and hoped for something interesting.
She posed for a few moments while perched on a clump of mud sticking out of the water and then unexpectedly…
1/1250, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
she took a big stride to another clump in front of her. And she wasn’t through puddle-jumping yet because…
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
she did it again, this time to a much smaller clump. No big deal but her performance interested and even slightly amused me.
And no, I don’t really think she was trying to keep her feet dry. After all, they were already wet. And immediately after she stepped onto this tiny, wet clump her foot appeared to sink into the mud and she began to lose her balance so with her wings raised she stepped into the water anyway. Sadly, in trying to keep my focus point on the bird as she unexpectedly moved forward I lost focus and that shot was soft.
Good bird photography ain’t easy!
Ron
PS – A bonus bird today. Yesterday morning I drove a long distance looking for birds and was mostly skunked but a surprise Osprey took some of the sting out of it. I’m not particularly fond of photographing Ospreys on artificial nesting platforms so I don’t get many opportunities with the species and seldom even see them. When I do it’s usually a lone migrating adult or juvenile.
1/1600, f/7.1 ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
But I encountered this adult in a remote area where I rarely see Ospreys at all. I’m sure it was migrating and its attraction to the area was probably a nearby rancher’s pond that may be stocked with fish since I do see pelicans on that pond occasionally.
Utility poles aren’t my favorite perch and the sky has a bit of a funky cast because the photo was taken only minutes after dawn when the light was very warm. But I was tickled to see the handsome Osprey out in the middle of nowhere and in habitat where they’re rarely found.
Wonderful series Ron! Thanks for sharing!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
The female Brewers are just as pretty as the male. That’s funny it didn’t want to walk in the water. Gorgeous shot of the Osprey.
Thanks, Jean. I’m not sure it didn’t want to, maybe it was just in a playful or experimental mood…
Nice image of the osprey, but the winner for me is the stepping stones hopper…brought a much needed smile…Thanks…
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Patty. Thanks.
Love the dainty steps of the Brewer’s along with her concentration to make it look easy. 🙂
I’m always happy to see Ospreys — I know they’re tough (high DOD) and don’t always select your favorite perches, but they’re still pretty wonderful!
I agree, they certainly are, Marty. Thanks.
Fantastic series, I like watching birds maneuver their environment.
Thanks, April.
Great shots Ron! Love the extended feet digits as she attempts to leave and grab a hold of the next stone.
Like the Osprey. Watched the whole behavioral sequence of an Eagle stealing a fish from an Osprey who was trying to carry it back to its nest. It was awhile ago and too far for my lens, but it was super to watch.
Sometimes seeing it is almost as good as the photos. Almost… Thanks, Dick.
Great photos of the wildlife in the area. My favorite is the Osprey. It is fun to watch the smaller birds doing the hunting for bugs and fish.
Thank you, Trudy.
Gorgeous Osprey. And I liked Ms. Brewer too.
Good. Thanks, Arwen.
Both birds are beautiful! Your osprey looks like a thief with his little eye mask. 😀
Thanks, Shelley. Yes, they have that bandit look about them.
Your Blackbird had me laughing. It is just unexpected to see one walk that way. I’m really impressed that you got to see an Osprey. We only see them when we are on the east coast, and really enjoy watching them. In that area they very frequently take advantage of those artificial nesting platforms. At the Wright Memorial Bridge in North Carolina, the power company put up nesting platforms for them on their old power poles. That’s a good use of old power poles (IMO), even though they are not photogenic.
I agree, Susan. I enthusiastically support efforts to put up artificial nesting platforms for them. I just don’t like to photograph Osprey’s when they’re on them.
Very interesting and fun photos Ron. I can just picture her stepping across all those little clumps of mud. And love the ospreys even if on a pole. Interesting here at our Lynx Lake. Years ago they built two platforms for the ospreys who resided here, but then the ospreys left because the eagles took up permanent seasonal residence. Often when an eagle catches a fish they will take it to the top of one of the old osprey platforms to eat it. Right now both eagles and ospreys are here, but the ospreys only stay for about a month or so and then move on. Fun to watch their behavior. When the eagle pair are present on the east side of the lake the ospreys are almost always on the west side. But when the eagles fly off to another lake for a few hours the ospreys are everywhere including stops on some of the eagles favorite perches.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
If I were an Osprey I’d stay on the opposite side of the lake from the eagles too. Bald Eagles often make their “living” by stealing fish from Osprey. Thanks, Everett.
Nice capture of the blackbird – fun the things they do… 🙂 The “flocking blackbirds” (brewers)are long gone from here – usually an August phenomena. At least they are the pain in the tail the redwings are as they don’t come in the yard much and mob the feeders. Beautiful Osprey also. We see one occasionally here but they are common down towards Townsend/Helena/Bozeman area.
“they don’t come in the yard much and mob the feeders”
An interesting observation, Judy. I’d never thought of that but you’re right, they don’t. And Red-winged Blackbirds do it regularly. I wonder why the difference…
know the redwings like sunflower seeds for sure…….. “Flocking Blackbirds” is always the sign our summer is pretty much over – not always welcome!
Smart gal with agility! 😊 Looks like she caught your eye in the first photo and decided to ‘show-off’ for you. Interesting looking bird…I don’t believe I’ve seen one; we are inundated with Red-Wing Blackbirds here and they are gathering in force for migration. A very nice looking Osprey…love their facial features…that wide eye band seems to accentuate the sharpness of their eyes and the extreme hook to the beak…sure would not want to be on the business end of that. I catch them here out in the marshes and along one of the inland lakes.
Kathy, I should photograph them more often, especially this time of year when they’re flocked up. The males in particular are difficult to expose properly because of their deep black coloration but they have a spooky-looking almost white eye that can contribute to making them a very interesting subject. The eyes of females are usually dark though occasionally one has a pale eye.