After four days stuck at home it was good to finally get back out in the field yesterday morning but both the birding and the bird photography were mediocre at best.
I spent the morning in and near the mountains of the west desert but birds were hard to come by and things mostly didn’t work out with those I did find. Usually when I post photos to my blog readers see my successes but this time I decided to show you what a frustrating morning looks like for me. Needless to say I won’t be posting any great photos today but hopefully you’ll still find something interesting.
The Ferruginous Hawks along the fence line where they’ve been cooperative in the recent past were exactly the opposite yesterday. Only minutes after sunrise this one took off before I could get anywhere near it so mostly out of frustration I fired off a few shots when it was far away and flying away from me.
I like the very warm light on the bird against the still-shaded mountains in the background but for me that’s about the only thing this image has going for it. The left wing is soft due to motion blur because in this low light my shutter speed was only 1/800.
I couldn’t see enough of the bird well enough to tell for sure but I believe this is a Cooper’s Hawk.
I really like the way the bird is framed by the greenery and I think the background is interesting but the hawk is strongly side lit and there’s way too many needles and twigs in front of the bird. To make matters worse I had a hard time focusing on ‘his’ head because of the greenery so close to to his face so his head is a little soft.
There were pretty good numbers of Townsend’s Solitaires in the mountains but they were always too far away or perched at the tops of tall trees which made the shooting angle far too steep.
By this time I was discouraged and the light was beginning to get harsh so I headed for home. About the only other birds I photographed yesterday in the mountains were small groups of excited and noisy Clark’s Nutcrackers but true to form for that morning they absolutely refused to come in close so my photos of them were nothing special.
But I did have a somewhat interesting experience with an immature Red-tailed Hawk on the trip home.
The red-tail was perched on what I believe is a small weather station right next to the road. I think that’s a small antenna directly below ‘his’ raised foot. The station isn’t very tall so the hawk was only about 20′ off the ground. Normally I don’t stop for hawks on ugly perches but it had been such a slow morning I thought I might salvage the day with a takeoff or flight shot. As you’re about to see, that didn’t happen – not by a long shot.
While I had him in my viewfinder I could hear the incredibly noisy approach of two humongous gravel trucks pulling two trailers each from about a half mile away. As they got close, on that very rough road, the noise was deafening so I was sure the hawk would spook and give me a chance for takeoff shots.
In situations like this I typically fire a burst just before the truck comes between me and the bird in hopes of getting a dynamic takeoff shot of the frightened bird. This photo is the last one I got before the lead truck came between me and the hawk.
Here’s the next shot in the burst. Mostly all we see is the speeding, out of focus truck but I must have timed this photo so that we can see through a small space between the truck’s cab and the first trailer so we can also see the tail and rump of the bird through that space. Almost unbelievably the hawk is still there.
If you could only hear the incredible noise those trucks were making you’d understand why this surprised me so much.
And this is the first shot I got immediately after the first truck had passed. That silly bird hadn’t even twitched – hell, he didn’t even lower his raised foot as the truck was passing so he could make a quicker getaway if he had to. In the city where there’s lots of traffic maybe that wouldn’t have been quite so surprising but these country birds are usually much more skittish than that.
Anyway, this little incident both interested and amused me. Maybe I was more easily amused because it had been such a slow morning.
Ron
Amazing bird photography. I just have a keen interest in watching beautiful pictures of different species. Here I found your blog, and it’s amazing. You capture every picture of the bird so clearly and beautifully, and it becomes challenging for a person to capture such amazing pictures. Also, love to read about your experience in doing this photography. Keep posting.
Late to the party, Ron, but that photo of the hawk squeezed between the cab and the rig made me laugh out loud! These are great examples of birds being birds. They could care less that we’re hoping for a good shot! Thanks for sharing.
“That photo… made me laugh out loud”.
Glad you enjoyed it, Diane. I get a kick out of it mostly because the chances of me getting that shot were almost nil.
You totally channeled your “Inner Marty K” on that truck shot. That’s what most of my photography looks like, even if there isn’t a truck passing between me and my subject. 🤣
I would be thrilled with any of these shots — flaws and all. Love the light-dark interplay in 1 & 2 and the bird-greenery in 2 & 3. I also don’t feel like a weather station is quite as ugly as a metal fence post, barbed wire, power pole, etc. (must be the science teacher in me). I find the foot-antenna interplay so interesting — it looks like he’s trying to mess with the data. 😉
Marty, your “foot-antenna interplay” comment made me wonder if he was actually holding on to the top of the antenna with his foot so I zoomed in on the high-res image. He isn’t holding on to it, his foot is behind it, but now I know for sure… 🙂
“He” looks supremely annoyed in both shots. Maybe this was his “last line in the sand” moment. 😀
Arwen, he had that same demeanor long before, and after, the trucks came along.
Well, OK, you got skunked photographically—but still, those are some beautiful hawks (and a pretty little songbird), and you got out of the house, so not a total loss! I like them all, regardless of flaws (even that “truck shot,” which really gave me a chuckle). 😄
Chris, I thought someone might give me grief because I put my copyright watermark on that ‘truck’ shot… 🙂
I am probably nearly as happy that you got out are you are. Nearly.
Sorry it was a frustrating day on the photographic side. I am amazed that the red tail ‘stuck’. Nonchalant is NOT description that comes to mind where birds are concerned. Any of them.
I hope that his/her reactions are better when there is a cause…
EC, I think he just got acclimated to those monster trucks, to the point that he could ignore them. If it were me I’d have gone somewhere else to hunt.
Nice variety today. Glad you posted them. Fun to guess what species they are. I swear the Red-tailed Hawk is contemplating a double back flip with a twist.
I was sure we were going to get more flooring pictures😁
“I was sure we were going to get more flooring pictures”
Not a chance, Lyle. I’ve already wrung more than I should out of my floors.
Sensational series Ron!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
Hawks are badassy! Thanks for sharing your frustrating morning! I can barely get my binoculars on the hawks and blue jays here. Have HUGE appreciation for your bird photography skills Ron.
” I can barely get my binoculars on the hawks and blue jays here”
Kathleen, I was having the same problem yesterday with my lens, with both hawks and jays.
Since it is exactly the same pose and there’s that unusual rod sticking up, I would almost think its a very realistic fake bird!
I know. They look like exactly the same photo. He didn’t budge a whisker.
Nice you got out but I do understand your frustration with birds, few, far between and not cooperative.
You floor looks nice. I am still working on what product to use. The one I selected might not be available, having trouble getting it. Would you mind pm me the brand you used?
April, I have part of an extra carton of planks left over. I’ll see if I can find a label and mail you a photo of it.
Photo sent via pm.
As a birder, these are all great shots!
I hesitate to call myself an actual “photographer”, but I can certainly empathize with this type of day.
“If only I had seen the Ferruginous Hawk a moment sooner!”
“That Cooper’s will move to a better perch in full sun any minute now.”
“Why can’t the Solitaire come closer and forage in the lower branches?”
“Oh, good. Here comes some trucks. Fantastic takeoff shots coming right up.”
Sigh.
You got outside. You saw birds. Be happy.
“You got outside. You saw birds. Be happy”
That’s exactly how I’m trying to look at it, Wally. A 5th day in a row stuck at home would have driven me crazy(er).
The first shot of the hawk is excellent. Too bad it had to be perched where it was. He or she must be very used to those trucks to have not even flinched. Rough morning when you needed a really good one after waiting all that time to get out. You will have some outstanding days coming up though.
“You will have some outstanding days coming up though”
I hope you’re right, Everett. With winter coming on that should help a little.
I’d say “chicken or feathers” BUT feathers seem to have been missing as well as a chicken….😇 Amazing that the hawk “stuck” not even letting go of the skinny wire (whatever it was)! 😳 I do like the first photo for all it’s faults. Hopefully things will pick up…….
Thanks, Judy. I kinda like that first photo too but it sure as hell won’t win any prizes.
Yesterday we had a large Red Tailed Hawk right next to our house in the Northern forrest. As always, thanks for your photos.
Thanks, Mary.