Even when birds don’t cooperate something of value can come of an encounter like this one.
Two months ago just after dawn I found a Ferruginous Hawk perched on a fence post in the west desert that I had high hopes for. ‘He’ was in gorgeous warm light with mountains in the background and he allowed me to get close enough (just barely) to potentially get some stunning flight shots if he took off in an acceptable direction.
But dang him, the blasted bird kept taking off at an angle away from me.
I had to proceed on the road to get to my destination and he repeatedly landed on different fence posts in front of me Three times he allowed me to get close enough for flight shots but…
he kept taking off in a less than ideal direction. It was highly frustrating because I don’t get many chances with Ferruginous Hawks, in flight or perched.
But the third time he landed on a post in front of me I caught him with his back to me just as he was touching down. Even though he wasn’t close it allowed me to get several photos of his entire dorsal surface with all of his flight feathers flared out in excellent light.
For this version of the photo I took the liberty of removing the white tip of a metal fencepost sticking up into the frame at bottom left.
But I think a vertical composition of the same image that includes barbed wire and multiple metal posts is more interesting, even with the hand of man so prominent.
Readers may be surprised that I assign any value at all to a photo like this last one. After all it can be perceived as just another butt shot where we can’t see his face, much less his eyes. But it gives the viewer a highly unusual look at the gorgeous patterns and colors of his entire dorsal surface and that’s the kind of photo I may very well wish I had down the road when I’m discussing something plumage related about Ferruginous Hawks on my blog.
As a blogger about almost anything bird related I learned long ago that it’s better to have an image like this one and not use it than to wish I had a photo that doesn’t exist. To me photos like this one can almost be like money in the bank.
Ron
This puts me in mind of a card in the Tarot. It is the Six of Swords. The fenceposts, to me, represent five of the swords with the hawk being the sixth. 😀 The meaning of the card is victory after a struggle. Well, that is one meaning, but here, it really fits for me.
As a birder who is still trying to become a photographer, I learned to take an “I.D.” shot upon first seeing a bird. More often than I care to think about, that turned out to be the “only” shot.
So, yep, have lots of those “money in the bank” images where the subject is in anything but ideal position. But upon review of some of those “lousy” shots, discovery of some part of a bird’s anatomy or plumage jumps out which I missed the first time around.
Fabulous photographs of a magnificent hawk, Ron!
I love these photos, Ron. I thought it looks like the Hawk is giving a Hallelujah to the world! So beautiful. Like so many I think, Oh, I’d love a print of that on my wall!…my very full walls. So I enjoy it here when I come. Thank you, Fine Human!
This one’s a keeper, Ron. Reminds me of a conductor gazing into the orchestra pit. We’ve had two in southern MO in the last six months. Seven hours round trip, but worth every bit of it to see one in flight. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, that’s a long way to go ‘just for a bird”, Diane. I’m impressed.
Really terrific photos! A ‘no-show’ bird for us here in NE WI. The last photo has character that is most becoming…really like it very much. Comparing it to the previous ‘non-metal’ one I find the addition of man’s hand to be very welcome in this situation! 🙂
Kathy, surprising for me I agree with you about the hand of man in that last photo.
Hey Ron, really pretty Ferruginous Hawk photos. Especially that uncropped artful fourth image you captured which evokes images of Gothic architecture in me (the Milan Cathedral.) Such strong composition; the varying heights of delicate white tipped fence posts and roughly textured tree stump, all became cathedral spires reaching upward, and the focal point of course, the Hawk capping it off, showing it’s regal beauty atop the highest…
Kinda’ religious, but in the best way. 😉😂
Hi Susan, I knew I liked that particular composition quite a lot but now I know why… 🙂 Thank you.
These are beautiful. Haley’s favorite bird.
And we have lovely weather on a Saturday when the whole world will be out to venture in the wild. Now that I am not working I like nice weekdays.
“Now that I am not working I like nice weekdays”
I’ve felt like that (strongly) for over 15 years now, April – ever since I retired.
‘He’ is simply gorgeous, as are all these images — and he wanted us to see his dotted pantaloons, so that third photo succeeds. The pose in the last two, which so beautifully shows off those gorgeous feather colors and patterns, reminds me so much of the Native totems I saw all over Alaska. Even with the “interference” at the bottom, I like the last one because those white tips mimic the white in Ferrug’s wings. ♥️
“reminds me so much of the Native totems I saw all over Alaska”
You’re right, Chris – they do look like those totems, that I’ve never actually seen.
Shots like this make you very, very rich. You have oodles of money in your banks.
Such a gorgeous bird even if he or she was flirting with you.
“You have oodles of money in your banks”
Believe me EC, that’s the first time anyone has EVER told me that!
I’m not surprised that you value the last photo. I find them all pretty darn good. Besides, we don’t have them here, so you’re fortunate to have them, let alone take beautiful pictures like these.
I was on a native plant hike in eastern Washington several years ago. Damned if I remember what plants we saw but we did see a Ferruginous Hawk. And a bumblebee going in and out of its nest in the ground. Funny what sticks in one’s memory.
“Funny what sticks in one’s memory”
It is, isn’t it Lyle. But like you I’d always remember a Ferrug.
Agree with Everett 🙂
🙂
Beautiful! The last photo in particular is just gorgeous showing the entire dorsal surface so clearly……we have them here occasionally but am usually seeing the ventral at a distance.
“Ventral at a distance” is pretty typical, Judy.
Actually the best (and most) opportunities I’ve had with Ferrugs over the years have been in MT but a couple of hundred miles south of you.
As you know all, I often resonate with your photos that delight me visually. And those white tipped fences almost seem to serve as “!‘s“ To lend to the drama of the pose. Love it!
Interesting perspective, Alison. Thank you.
Those “money in the bank shots” that you do not often post would help me immensely in identifying birds in the trailcam shots from Wisconsin. Many birds are flying straight at or away from the camera or hanging onto the camera. Field guides do not illustrate head on or butt on perspectives, let alone close ups of part of a bird’s underside.
I keep thinking that some of those culled shots would be perfect for helping reviewers to ID birds from weird perspectives.
Of course the lighting conditions are crazy variable in the trail cam images, too. Plumage colors are not reliable in these types of photos.
You make several excellent points, Pam.
When I first started blogging memories of older photos I’d deleted but wished I had kept haunting me. So keeping some of those kinds of shots is a lesson I finally learned.
Ron, obviously you wanted to get him not flying away, but I really like both the going away in-flight photos and for different reasons. In the first one I like the muted colors of the sky and the way the light shows off the contrasting colors and you even got a catch-eye. I think what I especially like is just that position with the wings down.
In the second in-flight I love the raised wings where again the light so well shows off the contrasting colors and also the fully extended legs and talons.
To you somewhat of a disappointment, but to me – two winners.
And I agree on “money in the bank” because I have zero Ferruginous photos.
I agree, Everett – gorgeous warm light and a mountain background can make up for at least some deficiencies. Thanks.