And a wolverine was seen, photographed and videotaped on Antelope Island two days ago.
Sometimes everything just falls into place. Yesterday morning I spent some time at an impoundment at Bear River MBR that had large numbers of American White Pelicans and White-faced Ibis feeding in the shallow water. Many of the Ibis were flying in and leaving at unpredictable times and I wanted ibis flight shots so I concentrated on them and mostly ignored the pelicans.
Typically as an Ibis approached it was coming in head-on which isn’t the best shooting angle, especially on such a dark bird.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I knew my best chance for shots I liked was if I could catch one banking and flaring just before it landed on the water. But that’s a very difficult flight shot because the banking/flaring maneuver also makes them change direction quickly and unpredictably so they’re nearly impossible to track and keep in focus with a long lens. But I kept trying and eventually succeeded with this photo and a few others like it.
Ibis are known for the iridescence on their dorsal plumage when seen in the right light but this shot reveals that they have ventral iridescence too. The morning sun was still low in the sky so with this dramatic flight posture the entire ventral surface of the ibis is well- lit and I got a near-perfect head position that allowed light in the eye and a good look at their namesake “white face”. I think the textures and colors of the water background are a plus.
A different composition of the same photo allows a closer look at the bird.
I actually got an entire series of sharp shots as the ibis approached and then flared but it’ll take me some time to go through them and get them processed. I’ll likely post more of them in the near future.
OK, lets change gears to end this post. I just had to mention this incredibly rare event.
Two days ago a wolverine was seen, photographed and videotaped on Antelope Island. A wolverine on Antelope Island is so very far out of its typical range and habitat I assumed the photos had been faked when I first saw them on social media. But later in the morning I saw a video of the same wolverine and eventually Utah DWR basically confirmed it really was a wolverine and it really was on the island.
It isn’t hyperbole for me to say that a confirmed sighting of a wolverine on the island surprises me nearly as much as a similar sighting of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker or even Sasquatch. Even now my jaw drops when I think about it.
Incidentally, Adam Brewerton, the Utah DWR biologist quoted in the Salt Lake Tribune article in the link above, is a former student of mine. As a member of my Utah Wildlife/Zoology class I would have told Adam years ago about an incredibly rare Utah wolverine found in the eastern Uinta Mountains near Vernal in the late 70’s. The person who spotted that wolverine “didn’t recognize what it was” so he shot it and took it to Vernal to have it identified. Back then wolverines hadn’t been seen in Utah for decades so there were no laws to protect them and the jerk who shot it wasn’t prosecuted.
Today wolverines are protected by state law.
Ron
A belated response from me due to a computer crash interrupting my work flow.
Great images of the Ibis, but incredible news about the wolverine – I wonder if coupled with the previous sighting in California this is an indication of an expansion back to the species previous range?
Somehow these photos are very moving to me today. Thank you…no need to reply because I never seem to be able to read your replies to me. Please know how much your pictures mean. Thanks, Mary
Spectacular shots Ron! Thanks for sharing!
Charlotte Norton
Fabulous shot of the ibis and so exciting to hear about Antelope Island’s wolverine.
My favorite part your entire post is: “Incidentally, Adam Brewerton, the Utah DWR biologist quoted in the Salt Lake Tribune article in the link above, is an ex student of mine.” There isn’t much that’s more exciting than seeing a former student “making good.” ❤️
And “making good” in our own field of study is even more exciting. Adam had a deep interest in the natural sciences, even back then. Thanks, Marty.
Fabulous shots of the ibis. That iridescence and those colours….
Wonderful news about the wolverine too. Sadly ‘protected’ status is no guarantee here – but is a step in the right direction. Fingers crossed. Tightly.
It isn’t a guarantee here either, EC. But it can help.
I like the Ibis but am WOWED by that wolverine article. How fabulous if they are making a comeback.
“How fabulous if they are making a comeback.”
Wouldn’t that be something, Arwen. Even where their populations are healthy there’s very, very few of them. Each individual requires a huge amount of wilderness territory, usually at high elevations.
Nice capture on the ibis. I have tried the last few times to get a flight shot in the right light, not easy. The ibis were usually flying into the wind which was away from the sunlight which as you know is need for the iridescence.I did capture nice wing flared posture at sunset but the birds were usually slightly turned so I did not get a nice face and eye pose.
Exciting news about the wolverine, the rate he was traveling he is probably in the Wasatch by now. I hope he gets past I-15 and 89 safely.
” I hope he gets past I-15 and 89 safely.”
That’s the key, April. All day today I’ve been afraid that we’d hear a report of a road-killed Wolverine somewhere between Bountiful and Layton.
Wolverine! Life abides… Events and sightings like this renew my hopes that someday humanity may grow into its role as stewards of the life and land around us instead of solely as consumers of it.
We can only hope, Art. Incredibly long odds though…
A Wolverine! What next an Arctic kit fox or a coati?
I’m beginning to wonder just what might be next…
JUST ELEGANT images ! I’m struck by the way that the shape of the facial mask perfectly echoes the shape made by the interior feather grouping of the wing— golden keyholes at the same angle…..
And a wolverine !! Could it have followed a watershed river all of the way down
from the mountains ? ( not somebody’s discarded pet, for darn sure ! )
Wow! Congrats on capturing great shots of the Ibis. These are so sharp and the lighting is perfect!
Kathleen, thanks for noticing both the sharpness and the lighting. Both were very important for this shot.
Holy crap! A wolverine! On Antelope Island! To me that’s scary, but maybe i overreact.
Nina, I don’t think they’re scary. Their number one priority is usually to avoid any hint of humans. Can’t blame them…
Truly remarkable. I have tried that unsuccessfully and can vouch for the degree of difficulty. The Ibis just started showing up here about two weeks ago. I have a couple neighbors who are Michigan Wolverines – will have to tell them about this rare sighting.
You get it, Everett – it was a difficult shot to say the least. Somehow Murphy forgot to sit on my shoulder this time.
Nice! 🙂 I’ve seen them once, at a distance, and didn’t know what they were until I could identify them via my photos and the net! They weren’t in flight so looked totally different that this one in flight. Beautiful iridescence!
WOW! on the Wolverine…… 🙂 😖 Shoot first and ask questions later – too common an occurrence – good excuse anyway like the 2 fools in theory shooting coyotes from a chopper recently that took out a couple of wolves. Don’t buy it and they’ve been fined BUT!
Judy, I hoped to one day see a wolverine on one of my many visits to Glacier NP but it never happened. To think I could have seen one almost in my back yard here in Utah…
Stunning capture! The catch light in the eye looks to blend with the red outside the white line.
Thank you, Shane. I enjoyed our little visit yesterday.
And I never even knew this bird existed! I’ve learned so much from your wonderful blog post. Thanks a million!
“I’ve learned so much from your wonderful blog post”
Good to know, Alison. Thanks.
Wow! Simply spectacular, Ron. You must have been grinning ear to ear!
Yup, I pretty much was!
Absolutely beautiful shots!
Thank you, Dick.