As a bird photographer I’m usually cussing the wind but yesterday morning I was grateful for a stiff breeze.
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This Rough-legged Hawk was partially hidden behind the top of the juniper and too far away for quality perched shots anyway. But I aimed my lens “his” way because I was hoping he might take off and fly in my direction. He was facing in my general direction, raptors usually take off into the wind and the breeze was coming from behind me and blowing into his face so I figured I had a chance.
But this bird used the stiff breeze in an unexpected way that was still to my advantage.
The following six photos are sequential with no skips.
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Instead of taking off in my direction and directly into the breeze he…
1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
initially launched to my left. For the first two shots he was still partially hidden by the juniper (I don’t like this photo very much because the whites of the right wing are nearly blown out but I’m including it so I don’t have any skips in the series).
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
But once he had cleared the tree he…
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
banked vertically to begin a turn to his right and away from me.
Even though I wasn’t close to the hawk I could tell that my pickup made him nervous so he wanted no part of getting any closer to me by flying my way and into the breeze. This banking turn gave me my favorite shot of the series, despite his apparently closed nictitating membrane that gave the catch light in his eye a bit of a funky look.
Without the breeze blowing into his face I don’t believe he would have banked this steeply (or at all) and given me such a spectacular flight posture. That soon after takeoff he wouldn’t have had the momentum to perform such a steep bank efficiently so he most likely would have flown straight off to my left without banking.
1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
He continued his turn away from me.
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This is the last photo I got where I could still see his eye and had a bit of a catch light. I continued my burst after this shot but I won’t be posting any of those images. Butt shots just aren’t my bag.
If this hawk hadn’t banked so steeply in that 5th photo I may not have posted any of these shots. I was just too far away for quality photos. But that steep bank did two things that really made me like that particular photo: it provided me a flight posture I adore and it made the hawk fill much more of the frame so I could crop less and have a higher quality photo.
Sometimes that aggravating wind can be a bird photographer’s best friend.
Ron
Awesome
Beautiful bird. Great sequence.
Thanks, Dave.
You have captured this RLH at some great angles. The underwings have amazing patterns.
Thank you, Lyle.
These shots are something else, Ron! Spectacular! Shots 2 and 5 are my favorite. I really like the way Mr. Roughie is emerging from the Juniper and that bank shot is marvelous! Plus, lots of pantaloons!!! 😀
Even though you don’t like butt shots, I sometimes find them interesting — not sure if I’m being Freudian or kinesiological. 😉 If you happen to have one with a nice view of the flared tail and primaries (looks like he’s got a little hitch in #4 — wonder if it is damage or just a need to re-zip), I’d love to see it.
Believe me, there’s nothing particularly interesting about those shots, Marty. They just aren’t very good – not very sharp either.
Bummer! (or so to speak…) 😉
These are exceptional! Love that shot where the bird is just clearing the trees.
Thanks, Arwen.
Wowsers.
Sometimes luck IS a lady (but not often).
Thanks for the earworm. 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X69P_Vce9vw
(I’ve played in the pit for several productions of Guys and Dolls — it’s a great musical if you ever get a chance to see it!)
Sorry about that Marty. The earworm is here too.
Not often enough, EC. With either gender.
What a handsome bird! Thanks, Ron. Check the feathers down the legs, adaptation to the Arctic. . this is a species I never get to see around here.
Thanks, Martha. Sadly I’m not seeing them as often as I used to.
A really beautiful bird. Unusual coloring, from my perspective. Most of the wintering RLHes I see are darker. Made me think: angels!
A lot of them that I see are darker than this too. Thanks, Sallie.
Spectacular Ron! Simply spectacular! Roughies are such stunning birds. Thanks for sharing the joy.
Thank you, Diane.
Gorgeous! 🙂 It all really came together even if not as anticipated…. The colors/patterns show up well. Seems obvious he “knew” you were there and didn’t care for it….. 😉 Always amazing to me how far they can see…. Wind “howled” here all weekend in the 50 degree range with wind to match. Deep Creek had a 90 mph gust Sat. On to snow and blow for Thanksgiving it sounds like…….
Judy, he was watching me carefully while he was perched and during the early stages of takeoff. Some of these roughies are very skittish when they first get here after spending the breeding season in remote areas of the arctic and subarctic.
I saw that the wind blew 102 mph in East Glacier a day or two ago. Probably not much less in Cut Bank and Browning.
Spectacular ! The light, the light clouds in the background, the way he is turning, everything just perfect and Murphy stayed away. A really beautiful hawk, and I love the mixture of the white and the colors of underside of the fully spread wings. I have never seen a Rough-legged Hawk, but would sure like to see one this beautiful.
Thank you, Everett. Roughies help me get through the colder months after some of our other raptors have headed south for the winter.
Sun at your back, wind at your back, nice morning color in the clouds and a hawk cooperating just long enough for you to get set up and get a liftoff series. Whose complaining! Not me, great series this AM Ron.
I got lucky yesterday. I went over the top lately and picked up a Sony 600mm Gmaster. Took it out yesterday afternoon in the desert on my A9 and had a Loggerhead doing his flycatcher thing: perching, launching, and coming back to the same perch with a catch. I had a 2X on, so I was shooting at 1200mm, and he launched at a slight angle to the his right from my position, staying in the frame. Winner winner chicken dinner. Got ’em. Sometimes. you just get luck and things come together!
Thanks, Frank. In bird photography Lady Luck often plays a part. It comes with the territory.
I hope you enjoy your new lens for a long time to come.