I’m hoping my favorite photo of a Loggerhead Shrike in flight will provide readers with a brief respite from the stresses of the election.
- I suspect many of my readers are as discouraged and enraged by events related to the election as I am this morning. I’m hoping that what I think is a pretty wonderful photo of a handsome young shrike in flight will provide us all with a brief respite from what I consider to be a potential national tragedy in the making (at 3:15 AM the morning after the election). As much as possible I try to avoid both politics and religion on Feathered Photography so this is the last I’ll say on the subject but I felt I couldn’t and shouldn’t avoid it completely. Sometimes the elephant in the room simply can’t be ignored.
Back in the summer of 2013 Feathered Photography was on life support for weeks due to issues with my inaccurately named hosting provider, Network Solutions. My blog wouldn’t load for readers or it loaded so slowly that most folks just gave up and the editing page acted the same way for me when I was trying to compose a post. Feathered Photography was actually offline for nine days before a solution was found by moving to a more competent and responsive hosting provider.
One of the photos I posted when we were still limping along was a Loggerhead Shrike in flight that became my favorite flight shot of that species but relatively few readers were able to see it because of my hosting issues. I’ve always wanted to reprocess that image in a way I like better and repost it.
Today’s the day.
1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II US, not baited, set up or called in
The photo was taken on July 6, 2013 on Antelope Island as the juvenile shrike took off from sagebrush. Given my personal tastes it would be hard to improve much on this shot because I like the inclusion of appropriate habitat, the background, the flight pose, the even light on the shrike, the placement of the bird in the frame, there’s a nice catch light in the eye and the shrike is sharp.
This version of the photo has been cropped to 5×7. Previously I had cropped it to a different aspect ratio that I don’t like quite as well.
I wish shrikes on the island were as common as they used to be but like so many other birds they’ve taken a hit in recent years. Hopefully they’ll make a comeback.
Ron
Absolutely beautiful!
What a terrific photo! Thank you for sharing it!
It is a beautiful photo. I hope you are out in nature this morning finding birds and soaking up the sun and unusual warm weather.
April, I got out for a while and it helped a little but now I really need to get some sleep.
Even with not watching any returns (still don’t know what’s happened in CA with all the propositions), my anxiety has been getting the better of me. As my students used to say, “I don’t get it.”
Thank you for the lovely shrike this morning. Wishing us all some peace and rest today.
Marty, I saw one person who said it’s like 300 million people waiting for their biopsy results. Pretty close…
Thank you.
I too woke early. Anxious, for my friends in your country and for the world.
This beauty is a wonderful distraction.
Thanks, EC. A brief distraction is better than nothing isn’t it.
Stunning flight shot Ron! Thanks for sharing!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
Beautiful shot on a scary day. Thanks Ron!
Thank you, Jamila.
Superb flight shot Ron – thanks for reminding me that there are things to be grateful for. We just have to fight harder to protect them.
We sure do!
Beautiful. Thank you. Beautiful bird beautiful photo.
Thanks, Kaye.
What a beautiful bird! They are so hard to come by around here that I’ve never gotten a photo of one in flight. A much needed reason to smile this morning. Thanks, Ron.
Diane, sadly they’re becoming hard to come by around here too.
Wonderful photograph! Seems perfect to me.
An aside: Has anyone heard Hozier’s hauntingly beautiful song “Shrike”? Tis lovely.
I haven’t heard it, Joanne.
Thanks for reposting this beautiful image from 2013, a rather nostalgic time…
“2013, a rather nostalgic time”
Especially when compared to the present time.
~I’ll echo —-thanks for the reminder of the beauty we still have…..I’ll try to
treasure it even more……
Good. Thanks, Kris.
Ron, Your posts always brighten my days, and today, well… we need lots of your type of help for the times we’re living in. I’m pushing myself to get outside to boost my spirits, where i can look at the beauty of Nature. I watch the birds around here, but i never see the detail, the close-ups, the “whoa!” experience of really seeing a bird that comes with each photo that you share on Feathered Photography. This is a beautiful photo. Thanks again.
Nina, I got out with birds this morning. It helped a little with my attitude.
Thank you, I needed that.
I’m glad it filled a need, Sarah – if only partially.
Beautiful photo of the Shrike! 🙂 Everything comes together – the bird stands out nicely from the background that gives great context.
Any Illusions of what this nation “is” are being firmly busted I’m afraid….😞
Thank you, Judy.
Great shot Run. Feathered Photography should be a respite from politics. Unlike many of you I never watch period. Not at all. Then I wake up fully refreshed and ready for whatever happens.
Thanks, Everett.
Great capture, it’s very difficult to get these BIF shots of smaller birds. I’m curious if you find this older 7D/lens to be noticeably slower than your current setup for these types of action shots.
Elmer, yes the 7DII is a little faster to acquire accurate AF and it has a faster burst rate.
It’s a gorgeous bird in a perfect picture. And yes, I needed this. I’ve been up since 2:15am. Anxiety kept waking me up. I finally gave in. Hopefully I can sleep sometime soon.
I’m in the same boat, Arwen. Woke up at 1 am for the same reason. Gave up and got up at 1:40.
Well after naps yesterday and better news, I got a good night. Hope you did as well.