Consecutive images in a burst with rather dramatic differences in backgrounds.
Yesterday I went to Bear River MBR looking for swans in particular. I struck out with swans because the refuge is still mostly frozen so this bird from two years ago (2/3/18) will serve as my stand-in this morning.
1/1250, f/9, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
By the time I locked focus on “him” the swan was gaining elevation fast, especially for such a large and heavy (about 14 lbs.) bird.
I really like this shot for its sense of habitat. In the background from the bottom to the top of the frame we can clearly see the grand scope of this part of the refuge. I caught the bird with mostly open water behind him and I was particularly fortunate that there are no phragmites directly behind his head.
In addition I like the way the dark band of phrags at the top of the frame abruptly defines the horizon.
1/1250, f/9, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
In the next shot in the burst the setting behind the bird had changed dramatically to almost a solid wall of phrags, though we still see open water behind his wingtips.
The official date for the 13th International Swan Day is Saturday, March 28, 2020, the last Saturday of March so local refuges like Bear River MBR, Farmington Bay WMA and Salt Creek WMA will be celebrating our large numbers of migrating swans. By then more of the standing water at our refuges should be ice free and swans more available for viewing.
But as it stands right now most of our early swans are still limited to patches of open water in inaccessible areas of our refuges.
Ron
Nice to see these captures, Ron.
Beautiful shots!
Thank you, Jean.
Beautiful swan! You definitely caught the wild and free nature of this individual.
Hope you feel better soon! While I’m horrible at taking my own advice, more rest = quicker recovery. 💗😎
Thanks on both counts, Marty. Just got up after a long nap…
Always nice to see a Tundra Swan up close. Here in Western Washington we get Trumpeters as well, but usually so far away (even with scope) that I can’t differentiate them.
Good to see your’e already back in the saddle; hope jockeying for the viewfinder doesn’t bother the neck too much.
We also see a few Trumpeters, Lyle. Last year I watched and listened up close as a hunter checked his Trumpeter in with a DWR officer. It was hard to see that beautiful but very dead swan.
Probably good that I don’t live in Utah, anymore. I might be in jail for assaulting the hunter. Hunters, as I’m sure you are aware, are the reason their numbers declined to the point of near extinction. The mortality is still high out here due to lead shot. Aaargh!
What a beautiful bird. I had no idea that we have wild swans in this country, or that they migrate. I’ve always associated them with Europe, for some reason. Maybe I saw the ballet Swan Lake too many times when I was a kid. Anyway, I looked them up, and discovered we have tundra swans in the Texas panhandle, around the playa lakes. That’s yet another reason to spend some time up there! Your photos have stirred the urge to see one!
Shoreacres, we also have Trumpeter Swans and both species are wild and migratory. There’s even a few Whooper Swans but in North America they’re mostly found in the Aleutian Islands. I hope you get to see some wild swans.
I am thrilled that you were up to going out yesterday – and that you enjoyed it.
In my provincial eyes swans are black so seeing the white variety is always a treat.
Both present challenges for the photographer, but I loved the detail in the plumage and the habitat images. Thank you. As always.
Thanks, EC. For some reason I felt better yesterday than I do today.
Look after your important self. Please.
The year these beautiful photos were taken was an excellent year for swans. They were closer than usual.
I am surprised I did not see you at the refuge, I was there too. I saw 3 vehicles ahead of me and when I took a second loop there were 5 more . That is one plus about the better visibility, Other vehicular can be seen and I allow more space between us.
We must have just barely missed each other, April. We got to the auto tour route just a couple of minutes after sunrise. There was one car ahead of us but the driver stopped and got out so we passed her by. That driver wasn’t you.
Gorgeous, Ron. Such detail in the feathers, so tough on an all white bird.
Thanks for appreciated the exposure on a difficult white bird, Nancy.
Beautiful swan Ron. He/she is looking at you saying, “Damn, I thought I could zoom out of here before he could get a shot.” We have had four of them all winter until just recently. I have not yet read up on their habits, but I’m thinking that as it warms up here somewhat they headed north? They show up here about every other year and over time I have had some beautiful shots of them, but have never seen one take off. If you come down to the lake and get too close they will quietly swim further out, but never panic. I guess I could yell and scream and jump up and down to get them to fly off, but of course I would never do that. So in maybe five or six years of photographing them I have never seen a take off.
Sure hope you are progressing well and getting lots of rest.
Yes, they’ll head north to their namesake “tundra” for the breeding season.
I’m still lagging in the “rest” department. Getting my sleep cycle back on schedule is proving to be difficult.
Beautiful bird Ron….. 🙂 Both photos show off the swan well and do give a sense of where it is. Even if you got skunked yesterday at least you were able to get out and about…….. 🙂 Unless weather changes radically the swans/geese should find open water here this year as opposed to the ice last year!
Thanks, Judy. Yup, no great photos yesterday but it was a beautiful morning so I still enjoyed it.
Very nice! There is just something about swans that draws one in…perhaps the size or the perceived majesty of such a beautiful bird. Two years ago I was able to see an area of the marsh filled with at least a few hundred with the accompanying sounds of that many of them was spectacular…not to mention the take-off! There are some bird events that stick in your mind! Glad you were able to get out yesterday meaning you are handling the post-surgical ‘hang-ups’. Praying for good results with the final biopsy reports. I’ve got one knee replacement scheduled for March 19th with the other for about 8 weeks later…hope I don’t miss too much of the spring warblers etc this year.
I wish you the best of luck with your knees, Kathy. So far at least my joints seem to be in pretty good shape.
They really are gorgeous birds. I remember watching swans with my Nana. She lived in Rhode Island. I was mesmerized as there was a pair of black swans. As a kid, I thought all swans were white and all ducks were yellow then white (thanks Ugly Duckling!) LOL
Yup, the Ugly Duckling has quite the legacy.