So far this winter all I’ve seen of our Tundra Swans is tiny white specks about a half mile away, so today I decided to post a couple of older photos of one of them taking off.
1/8000, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 330mm, not baited, set up or called in
I was pretty close to a small group of swans at Bear River MBR so I was using my “baby lens” in case they decided to take off. I was about to adjust my camera to more appropriate settings for the situation when their behavior signaled imminent takeoff. So I abandoned any thought of camera adjustments and it’s a good thing I did because otherwise I’d probably have missed their takeoff.
The next shot in the burst. I almost clipped a wing but I have a few pixels to spare.
I got quite a few shots after this one that I’d like, except for the fact that this bird wasn’t alone and…
1/8000, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 330mm, not baited, set up or called in
the swan right behind ‘him’ was gaining quickly on him. After this shot the rear bird was poking its nose into where I didn’t want it to be.
These days I’m having to get my jollies from my older photos because we’re in the midst of an inversion from hell. The valleys are socked in with a thick, noxious mixture of fog and smog and there’s no end in sight. As of 5 AM this morning, this is the extended weather forecast on KSL Weather:
“High pressure continues to bring poor air quality and foggy conditions to valley locations. Expect some areas of dense fog in the morning that will reduce visibility. This trend will stick around all week with no storms to push the bad air out. Our next chance for a storm system is next Saturday.”
So I’m stuck at home, working on my family history to keep me occupied and to keep my mind off of the pitiful excuse for what we call “air” here in northern Utah in winter.
Ron
With wings extended, looks like that heavy body should just fall straight down into the water. Great sequence!
We are cursed with a heavy inversion throughout the Boise area as well, very depressing!
Quentin, I have good friends that live in Boise (Jim and Nancy DeWitt) and they said something very similar about your present inversion. Awful, isn’t it.
I couldn’t see more than half a block this morning. The SL Tribune reports that SLC had the worst air quality in the nation this morning. Really ugly.
Yeah, I read that Trib article. Ugh.
Me, again – per April’s comment. “They” allow swans to be HUNTED??? How can that be?
Yup, they do, both species. Don’t ask me…
I love those first two shots. The background, the splashing water, and of course the handsome swan are all perfect. Always great to see the photos you pull out of the archives.
Fort Collins is looking to be quite warm all week, probably a result of the same weather pattern you are having – not sure what it’s going to mean for our air quality, though. We’re supposed to get a little snow next weekend like you are, hopefully making it seem a bit more like winter.
Bill, during inversions the Salt Lake Valley is a natural trap for air and whatever’s in it or added to it.
We get the same inversion problem along the Front Range in Colorado, but it’s somewhat dependent on wind direction since the air can clear more easily to the east than the west.
I feel for you. We often get inversion factors too but with no heavy industry here the smog isn’t a major issue. It just holds the weather down making it less able to ‘take off’ than a very heavy bird.
I am endlessly grateful for your archives – but do hope that your storm comes through earlier than predicted.
EC, they claim that most of our smog is from vehicles but I don’t trust a lot of the folks included in “they”.
In my experience ‘they’ are often strangers to the truth.
Nice photos, Ron. That was a fun year when the swans were so close. Swan hunt lasted longer this year and the ice has not formed in most of the water so we may not see as many up close unless conditions change.
We did not have fog yesterday morning like most of the valley did, we do this morning but not thick, just haze. I was hoping for some nice hoar frost this morning but it doesn’t feel cold enough and little formed.
April, as close to the river as I am, if there’s any fog in the valley I usually get it.
Wonderful photos, Ron. It must be quite exciting to watch swans take off. Stay indoors as much as possible. That valley is beautiful when it is clear but scary when inversion sets in.
Thanks, Melanie. I almost never go out in this gunk. Among other things, it’s depressing.
Looks like they need a pretty long runway!
Another grey day here in Ellensburg (central WA), again with NO birds. Very weird. Hope you get some relief soon!
“Looks like they need a pretty long runway!”
They certainly do, Carolyn.
That “no birds” thing is very worrisome. Lots of folks in different parts of the country are saying the same thing.
I am awaiting their arrival. We usually get anywhere from four to six or so every winter. A take off is a rare opportunity from my experience. They can just float around for most of the day without going anywhere. Maybe in a river like that they tend to move more often than in a lake? Had a funny experience one day while taking photos of four of them. A man and his wife stopped to ask what they were and I told them Tundra Swans. He said something about our weather forecast is for very cold weather coming and did I think they would leave to go further south. I asked him, “Are you familiar with the word tundra? It took him a minute to realize what he had asked. Excellent take off photos.
Everett, these swans weren’t on a river. They were on a large pond (unit) at Bear River MBR.
You made a good point with those folks about “tundra”.
It never hurts my feeling to see older posts from you. I am so very pleased to see your posts still showing up in my inbox. I look for them with bated breath 🙂 !!! So very grateful for all you do.
Dan, your kind words are very much appreciated.
Sure is a handsome bird– about how much does one of the size
in your photos weigh ? I surely hope for wind to clear out the
valley for you……I think if people contemplating moving in to
Salt Lake comprehended how awful–and predictable–the winter inversions are, they’d find another place to go…….
Kris, Tundra Swans weigh about 14 lbs. Trumpeter Swans are even heavier.
Not every winter is like this one. Last winter was mostly free of inversions.
Beautiful! I also wonder how they ever get airborne….. 😉
Western part of the state is doing inversions big time of late. Fortunately, we rarely get them. Can tell it’s winter and slow air though with our temps being at least 10 degrees colder than the airport in GF in the morning – need a breeze to clear the cold air out!
“I also wonder how they ever get airborne”
Judy, when you’re close to them during takeoff it really makes you wonder.
Fog was pretty unusual on the farm, thanks to the wind that we so often had. An “east side of the Rockies” thing…
What a bird that is. Have not seen one in the wild. Would like to though. One heck of a neck on those.
Sorry to hear about the lousy weather and air conditions.
Sounds like you may get some of that storm that is due to pass over California in the next day or so.
Michael, I hope we get some of it, or a lot of it. It’ll take a pretty dynamic storm to scour this much junk out of our valleys. Our “air” really sucks right now.