I have “better” photos of Chukars but this one from yesterday morning means more to me than most of them.
The vast majority of my Chukar photos have been taken on Antelope Island and every last one of my really good ones were taken there. Chukars on the island are more habituated to humans than Chukars elsewhere so they’re much more approachable. That’s an understatement!
Chukars are notorious for being difficult to locate. Their preferred habitat of dry high-elevation shrublands between 4,000 and 13,000 feet makes them physically exhausting to find as they hide out on steep, rocky hillsides and they’re skulkers when you do manage to find them. In the hunting community Chukars have the reputation of being the most difficult upland game quarry.
Something similar could be said for bird photography.
1/6400, f/7.1, 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
So I was delighted to get some pretty darned nice photos of this Chukar yesterday morning in the remote Promontory Mountains. This presumed male was on the steep hillside above me as he called out to another Chukar that I could hear but couldn’t see. I only had a short time with him before he disappeared over the top of the rocky hillside.
I have better photos of Chukars but all of them were taken on Antelope Island where Chukars can be almost tame so getting nice photos of them there can be relatively easy. Not so elsewhere – far from it. So I value this photo more than I do many of my “better” Chukar photos. It’s probably for the same reason I don’t shoot setups or photograph critters at zoos or game farms.
For me degree of difficulty and “natural” matter.
Ron
Notes:
- Chukars are an introduced species from Asia. They were introduced for hunting purposes.
- My camera settings for the photo above weren’t ideal. This was one of the first shots I took of the bird and when I noticed my settings I lowered my ISO setting significantly resulting in a much slower shutter speed. But in those later shots the Chukar wasn’t calling.
I think the chukar is postured sort of like a penguin! Except then the chukar has long legs! Awesome picture!
He’s a handsome devil, for sure—but as Lyle noted about those short wings & legs, some of his majesty is lost. Still, it’s a great photo of a very interesting-looking bird.
Chris, those stubby wings can really push them along in the air. They don’t fly often but when they do they do it well for their purposes.
But more often than not when they’re threatened they run uphill rather than fly, a habit hunters try to take advantage of by approaching them from uphill.
Superb photograph, Ron!
Making a memory is more important than making a photograph. When the two happen to merge, life is good.
Good point, Wally. Thank you.
Beautiful photograph! I’d love to see some of these awesome birds – Native or not !
Sadly I don’t see them as often as I used to on the island and they’re never easy to find elsewhere. Thanks, Joanne.
You captured this wild ‘Beagle Boy’ beautifully.
Thank you.
Thanks, EC.
Beautiful; crisp; the blue sky just adds so much to this photo. And gorgeous but funny bird. It’s like a mashup of bird anatomy. Striking plumage but ya’ gotta chuckle at those short primaries(?) and chicken legs…
They sound like chickens too!
Nicely captured. I hear them in that area but, like you say they are harder to see. When I do see them they are high on the hillsides. A few years a go I saw one or two adults with a flock of 30 chicks. Apparently they babysit.
How was the birding in general? That is my next adventure area. I would have gone today but the light and sky are that flat gray.
It was pretty slow up there, April. A few turkeys at the haystack and not a lot more. Didn’t see any nesting raptors.
I really like this photograph, particularly for the very intense color of the sky,
but also for the very strong cast shadow of the chukar—it seems to lend the
whole image extra power and integrity……thanks for this beauty !
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kris.
Congrats on an outstanding shot of an elusive subject. Along with all the bright colors of the subject and background, I’m totally digging the little sprigs of vegetation in front of the Chukar which point back to him and keep my eye drawn toward the bird.
The only thing that would have made this shot more perfect, in my opinion, would be if you were wearing your “Mother Chukar” t-shirt. 🤪🤣
Ha, someone else asked my why I wasn’t wearing that shirt yesterday. I said “it isn’t summer yet”. Getting close though.
NICE! 🙂
Thanks, Judy.
Congratulations! Glad you were so lucky….nice shot…p
Thanks, Patty.
Sometimes the harder you work for something the more it’s a appreciated😁
I’m not familiar with the guy so I’ll be looking up his info later day❗️
So happy to have a much needed storm coming thru Northern California this weekend.
Enjoy your day
“Sometimes the harder you work for something the more it’s a appreciated”
Exactly, Diana. That’s why I often say “if bird photography was easy everyone could do it well”. And it wouldn’t be as much fun.
Lovely! My falcon-flying friends in Wyoming would heartily agree with your assessment of the difficulty. So you’re in good company that even falcons find them challenging, and they have that eyesight thing going for them 😉
Be well y’all!
I hadn’t thought about their challenges for falconers. Thanks for that perspective, Laura.
That one’s a keeper Ron! Just seeing him makes me smile!
Good. Thanks, Diane.
Good morning Ron. To me an eagle would always be an exception to the rule. If an eagle stopped for a drink at one of our bird baths I would be overjoyed to take some shots.
I really like this Chukar photo. His colors plus the colors of the rocks and that gorgeous blue sky really stand out. Hard to imagine a more colorful photo.
“Hard to imagine a more colorful photo.”
That sky color is pretty intense and some of the other colors are too but I think they work pretty well. Thanks, Everett.
Excellent shot Ron!
charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
Looks like a bit of a smile just for you as he disappears over the top…’Adieu my friend, catch me while you can!’ A terrific photo. 😍 I sure wish we had them near us…I just love their coloring and markings! Feel the same way…out in nature, unset-up is best. I guess it’s the reason I take very few pictures in my back yard anymore unless it’s something unique.
Thanks, Kathy. I only take “yard bird” photos when I’m testing equipment or practicing technique, especially when I have me feeders out. The Bald Eagle who would occasionally roost in my big elm tree was an exception to that rule…