Including one of the crappiest photos I’ve ever been happy to get.
Due to uncooperative weather, a variety of home improvement projects and other factors I’ve probably been out shooting less often in the last few weeks than in any other similar length of time in the last 14 years. But I did get a few photos during that period, other than the ones I’ve been posting, that if nothing else should give viewers a sense of some of the other species I’ve managed to get in my viewfinder.
None of these images will win any awards (except for one that could be a prime candidate for a booby prize) but it’s my practice to occasionally post a group of photos that provides a sampling of my recent subjects – a photo potpourri of sorts.
This is it, for what it’s worth.
I rarely photograph House Finches in an urban setting, including in my own yard, but when I find a cooperative one in the wild I’ll happily aim my lens its way. This male was enjoying breakfast when he struck a pose I liked.
An American White Pelican that unexpectedly flew by while I was attempting to photograph other birds.
An immature Pied-billed Grebe that couldn’t decide whether to dive or hide next to the shore in order to put more room between ‘him’ and my pickup. He chose the latter.
An adult Pied-billed Grebe for the sake of comparison to the immature grebe in the previous photo.
A nest full of wasps on the side of a large rock that gave me something to photograph while I was waiting for nuthatches and chickadees to show up at a Douglas Fir in the mountains. The anticipated birds never made an appearance.
The last photo today needs an introduction.
Though I’m always extremely happy to see Golden Eagles I’m usually frustrated photographically when I find them on utility poles for reasons I’ve explained in the past. The eagle on a pole in the following photo allowed a very close approach but I wasn’t enthusiastic about photographing ‘him’ up there and even if he did take off he’d most likely launch away from me so decent flight shots were highly unlikely. So I relaxed, placed my camera on my lap, and mostly just watched the eagle. When he eventually took off I had no intention of photographing him.
But then the unexpected happened.
When he took off the sudden appearance of his vast wingspan above flushed a rabbit out of the brush very close to my pickup. So the eagle abandoned its original intended flight path and went after the rabbit right outside my window. When it happened I didn’t even have my lens in my hands so I had no time to grab it and lock focus on the eagle.
So out of extreme frustration I tried a Hail Mary.
I picked up my lens, pointed it in the general direction of the eagle without even looking through my viewfinder and fired off three quick shots. Miraculously I had the eagle almost completely in frame in two of the three shots and considering the situation the sharpness of those two shots wasn’t bad either. This is the ‘best’ photo of the three, taken while the eagle was looking down at the rabbit. This photo is full frame (uncropped).
It probably takes another bird photographer with a long lens to realize the astronomical odds against getting this much of the bird in frame, and getting it this sharp, while attempting to photograph a bird in flight at my focal length (effectively 1120 mm) without looking through my viewfinder. So with all its flaws I was still happy to get the shot, simply because it was an accomplishment.
In the end the eagle failed and so did I. The rabbit escaped into the brush before the eagle hit the ground so the eagle just flew off. And I didn’t get any decent photos of the encounter. But in one way I succeeded in getting an extremely difficult shot so I’ll take that as a win, of sorts.
I can’t even begin to explain how much I wish the eagle had caught the rabbit.
Ron
I learned so much today!! I might even start to appreciate mathematics a bit more!! Thanks so much, Ron!!
What a good shot of the eagle . I go for a walk evert morning and a eagle come soring down so fast .It hit a squirrel flat and carried it away . How I wished I fad my camera or even my cell phone. Last winter I did get a award winning cardinal eating red cherries .
Before I went into being self employed did a lot of wild life photography.
It took me a minute to figure out which parts were which in the Eagle shot. I’m challenged to aim my cell phone so I’d consider your Hail Mary to be a touchdown.
What is it about hymenopteran hexagons? Who taught them geometry?🤔
“What is it about hymenopteran hexagons? Who taught them geometry?”
I loved your questions, Lyle. The way you worded them is worth the price of admission.
Let’s hear it for 120 degrees!
Fantastic. Thank you Marty
Love your Birdpourri — actually, today would be Wingedpourri because of those wasps *shudder* — posts! The House Finch shot is marvelous; what a dapper gent he is. And that Golden Hail Mary. Wowzers! Ol’ Murph was certainly asleep at the switch there. And I am very glad.
Marty, I think that House Finch photo might be the best shot of the bunch. Goes to show, don’t ignore the common species.
After my experience with the male House Finch constantly attacking my clerestory windows a couple of years ago (and my having to tape up scary photos of RTHAs as a deterrent), I find that I have quite the soft spot for the species. ❤️
I remember that!
Always enjoy your photo potpourri! The young grebe is, for want of better terminology, a real cutie. And a very handsome pelican that just happened to fly by! The eagle, though, looks not like an eagle to me in that position/aspect, he’s so small … but good on you for your Hail Mary shot!
Chris, that eagle looked HUGE to me when I was taking the photo. It was that close.
Trying again.
I adore the shot of the pelican (with its dinosaur ancestory fully visible). And am awed at your Hail Mary shot. I suspect it was very happy that you and the eagle weren’t (if that makes sense).
“Trying again”
That’s me, EC. “The Little Engine That Could” – eventually.
Great story behind the golden eagle shot! Hail Mary indeed! Love the water droplets on the immature grebe and the finch shot is just dandy.
“Hail Mary indeed”
Kathleen, I’ve been trying these “hip shots”, mostly out of frustration, for almost fourteen years now and I’ve only “succeeded” two times, three at most.
So to me they’re the epitome of a Hail Mary shot.
“Of all the word of mice and men”.
I suppose we could modify this quote to “Of all the word and photos of mice and men”
The same applies to every fly fishing expedition. The best memory is always of the fish who showed herself and then vanished back into her own world without ever pausing for a full introduction. And yet, do you not still feel as if you were touched be the Great Spirit?
“And yet, do you not still feel as if you were touched be the Great Spirit?”
Porcupine, when it comes to Golden Eagles I always feel that way. No exceptions.
Wonderful collection of photos this morning, thank you!
Thanks, Terri.
WOW! I’d have had a “blob of something” had I attempted your Hail Mary! 🙂 If he had caught the rabbit it would have made for some wonderful shots methinks but that’s the way it goes…… Immature grebe sure looks “ratty” compared to the adult. 😉 Wasps are getting “clingy” here right now tho coming cold weather should take care of that. Nice capture of the House Finch and always like Pelicans.
Judy, if the eagle had caught the rabbit all the action would have been too close for me to use my big lens so I’d have had to go to my ‘baby lens’. As a result I’d probably have missed some of the best action while I was making the swap.
But damn, I’d sure like to have had the chance!