A lucky find in a mostly birdless landscape.
1/800, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Only minutes after sunrise yesterday on Antelope Island I had a brief glimpse of an adult American Kestrel delivering food to one of its youngsters – at least that’s how I interpreted the behavior from a distance. After turning my pickup around I found one of the kestrels perched on this distant greasewood bush. After stopping my pickup he gave me less than a second with him, enough time for me to get off three quick shots, before he took off. In the low light with such a slow shutter speed this was the sharpest of the three.
I didn’t think my photos of him would hold much promise but I ended up liking them, in part because the bird, the bush and a sliver of the upper background are bathed in beautiful soft light against the rest of the background that was still in shade and dark. I like that contrast. I was lucky because for that brief moment his head was turned to put light on his face and provide a catch light in his eye. And the greasewood fits nicely in the frame without cutting anything off on either side.
Most bird activity on Antelope Island has come to a screeching halt (I wish I could say the same for the pesky deer flies.) It should tell aficionados of the island something when I say that I didn’t see, or hear, a single magpie on the island yesterday. I don’t recall that happening before.
But I’m still glad I got out yesterday, even though I didn’t find many birds. It’s supposed to be 104° today so I’ll be staying home and hunkered down in the AC.
I’m not a fan of weekend crowds anyway.
Ron
Love that light and the tiny assassin is gorgeous. Heat like that does my head and body in. Stay cool.
Thanks, EC. My thermometer said 106° at about 2 PM today. Ugh!
I think the light is very nice. I was thinking of going out there Sunday. At least I find picaridin keeps the deer flies at bay. I was hoping the bison are on the south end by the road. I don’t have air conditioning so I get pretty testy when it gets 100.
April, I did find a few other birds while I was there and had several pretty good chances with them but things mostly didn’t work out. I didn’t go to the south end so I don’t know if the bison are there.
Ah, another Kestrel photo! Love it. The pose and the light all emote perfectly for the camera. A pause. A serene moment at the beginning of a new day.
“A serene moment at the beginning of a new day.”
That’s it, Michael. It started out nicely with the kestrels and went downhill from there.
It all comes together! VBG! Good to get out even if disappointing bird wise.
The Magpies here are only to be heard in the distance after the Grackles gave them such grief. Grackles mostly gone also. Sure miss the Gold Finches.
We get some of heat next week after the storms this – not THAT hot but plenty hot enough. It IS July BUT! 😉
Thanks, Judy. The island without magpies just seems so… different.
You certainly caught him at the golden moment. I think I see a hint of gray on his left side, otherwise i would’ve pegged it as a female from the spotting on the chest.
Sad to hear there were no Magpies. I just read that the water level in the GSL hit a new low.
It’s been a wet, cold spring here but I’ll take today’s 67 degrees over your 104.
Yup, new record low water level for the lake, Lyle. Just a few minutes ago I watched a timelapse of the shrinking lake over the last 30 years. Terrifying.
Really like the soft morning light on the Kestrel and in the background. And as you say, he just turned perfectly at just the right time to get the light on his face and the catch-eye. Sorry that your early morning trip did not provide you with more opportunities. Up in the mid to high 90’s here in the mountains and of course getting very hot down in the Phoenix area.
Thanks, Everett. I can’t imagine living in Phoenix.
Beautiful capture. Were you able to capture any takeoff shots?
Thanks, Elmer. No, I didn’t even try. With a shutter speed of 1/800 they’d have been a blurry mess. And he took off so fast I didn’t have time to increase my ISO for more SS.