If there’s a possibility you’re going to collide head-on with another bird in flight, you don’t want it to be with a 16 lb. pelican.
Comcast (Xfinity), in its infinite wisdom and usual late and condescending way, informed me late yesterday that I’d be without internet and TV for “one day”, beginning at 6 AM today while they’re working to “enhance” my internet experience. As a result, this morning I decided to publish a post that didn’t require a lot of writing or even much thinking, so I could get it done before the 6 AM deadline.
Hopefully I’ll be able to get online today using my hotspot.
1/8000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Yesterday morning, while I was photographing other birds on the ground and on the water at Bear River MBR, a small group of Double-crested Cormorants flew by unexpectedly. They weren’t real close and blue sky backgrounds aren’t my favorite but as is my habit I instinctively raised my lens and fired off a short burst anyway. You just never know when you might document a bird that’s unusual in some way or an interesting behavior.
So these three sequential photos are grab shots. Total elapsed time from first to last was less than 2/10ths of a second.
1/8000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
The cormorants were headed north but suddenly a south-bound pelican appeared at the top of my screen. In this shot they don’t appear to be particularly close to each other but the pelican was headed for a pond to my left so it was descending quickly. Quickly enough that in the next shot in the burst…
1/8000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
the pelican and one of the cormorants nearly collided. At least it looked that way.
I had no idea the pelican was anywhere in the area and it happened so quickly all I saw through my viewfinder was a large flash of white zooming through the frame from right to left. So I didn’t know what had occurred until I looked at my photos at home. I figure their closing speed was somewhere between 50 and 60 mph so it’s a damn good thing they missed each other. Just imagine the explosion of feathers.
With birds you just never know what might happen and that’s another way they make my life more interesting.
Ron
PS – In case you’re wondering…
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Yes, I found Old Stoneface in ‘his’ favorite spot for the third time in my last three visits to the refuge. And no, he didn’t move a feather while I was with him. But he’d moved a few feet from where he was the last time I saw him a few days earlier, so I figured he wasn’t dead. Probably…
I’m beginning to think Stoneface is running a statisics test.
How many photographers will continue to take my picture even when I don’t move from this spot. 😀 😀 😀
That would have been one heck of a collision. The Pelican is larger, but those Cormorants are tough birds. That’s a good photo of Old Stoneface.
Thanks, Everett. Old Stoneface never moved so I had no excuses to not get him sharp.
I wonder if the Cormorants had seen the Pelican prior to its appearance in your photos, even though you hadn’t? They don’t look like they changed their flight pattern at all. Photo #3 sure reminds me of the air traffic from/to Newark airport, with planes flying about 6 feet above the NJ Turnpike.
Old Stone Face is wonderful! At least it looks like he’s standing on somewhat solid ground, gives his legs a chance to dry out!
Hope you enjoy your “new and improved, enhanced” internet “experience”.🤩
I’m sure they saw the pelican coming, Carolyn. Birds don’t miss much.
I really don’t understand how in air collisions are avoided. Murmurations are another case in point. A big sigh at your internet outage.
Over here ours has decided (for reasons I don’t understand) that from an unspecified date later this year they will stop providing email services. The mere thought of changing my email address and letting everyone who has it/needs it know fills me with horror.
“fills me with horror”
I don’t blame you, EC. Sounds like something Comcast would do, They still might. At least my primary email address isn’t hosted by Comcast.
I thought of saying something in defense of Comcast but I’m drawing a blank. I’ve had their “service” too long for that.
It’s alway quite amazing that mid-air collisions don’t occur. Watching a flock of thousands of Dunlin wheeling back and forth through the air it seems nearly impossible that collisions don’t happen, yet the whole flock always lands safely.
It’s understandable why you’re drawing a blank, Dan.
Wow all kinds of strange and wonderful things happen in your world! Have a nice day Ron.
Thanks, Trudy.
Love your new friend ‘Old Stone Face.’ He seems to enjoy the stare down game with you. Am wondering if there is a yielding agreement amongst birds in flight?! 😄
Kathleen, I think Old Stoneface is deliberately messing with my mind. He probably laughs his head off after I leave.
WOW! That would have been UGLY! “Shit happens”…….. 😉 Old Stoneface doesn’t look too happy in this shot…… 😉 Productive day even if not what you had in mind…… 🙂
Internet providers ARE a PITA at times tho have to say 3-Rivers has been VERY good for the most part.
Judy, I keep thinking I should change internet providers. But either way it’s a PITA and that’s probably what Comcast is counting on.
If I recall my airspace regulations, traveling in opposite directions they should have maintained a 1,000 foot altitude separation😉
Is there a way to determine Old Stone face’s age? Maybe he just enjoys long meditation poses.
“Is there a way to determine Old Stone face’s age?”
Not that I know of, Brett. All I can tell is that he isn’t a juvie.
Comcast “enhanced” things in my area a few months ago. Ever since, TV has been randomly pixellating with no resolution no matter how many people complain, because they apparently still have some equipment that hasn’t been installed (or something else they won’t admit).
That’s exactly why I put “enhanced” in quotes. Something else to look forward to from Comcast.