Potpourri. Six photos of four species.
All photos were taken in the last eight days at Farmington Bay WMA or on Antelope Island.
A lone Greater Yellowlegs that was foraging for food amongst a fairly large group of American Avocets. Here the bird had partially raised and then lowered its wings so quickly I didn’t even know it had occurred until I looked at my photos at home. It wasn’t much more than a wing twitch but I think it makes the photo a little more interesting.
A coyote in a sea of grass.
The same photo, uncropped. I don’t know why but I like seeing the coyote smaller in the frame in all that grass. The soft but very long shadow of the coyote accurately indicates that the photo was taken only minutes after sunrise.
A banded female American Kestrel on a sign that has been a favorite kestrel hunting perch for years.
I wanted takeoff/flight shots of course but fate had other plans. While I had her in my viewfinder, two very noisy medium-sized trucks loaded with Honey Bucket porta pottys for distribution on the refuge (duck hunting season was scheduled to open in two days) approached from the east. I was parked on the far side of a large dirt parking lot so I figured they’d pass by far enough away from me that I didn’t worry about them scaring off the kestrel.
The first truck did as I expected but the second one inexplicably turned off the road and pulled up and stopped close to my pickup, which…
scared off the kestrel of course, giving me only butt shots. Immediately after the kestrel flew off, the truck left and followed the other one.
I’m pretty sure the truck driver saw the kestrel, and my huge lens pointing at her, and got his morning jollies by deliberately scaring her off and ruining my opportunity. If I’m right, and I believe I am, I think the driver fully deserves his job delivering, retrieving and cleaning out ‘poop palaces’. May he have that job until he retires.
I’ll close on a more positive note.
This is the most aggressive of the several Northern Harriers that were harassing two juvenile Cooper’s Hawks at Farmington. Here the harrier had just flown past very close to one of the perched hawks, who is just out of frame to the right.
I believe she’s communicating something with this unusual wing position because she held this same wing position, or very close to it, for long enough for me to get four consecutive photos of it.
If so, I wish I knew what that “something” was.
Ron
Addendum:
As an afterthought I decided to include the photo in the burst that was taken just before the first harrier photo above. I probably should have included it in my original post. I didn’t include it originally because the harrier is a little soft.
Wonderful and interesting group of shots, Ron! I always get a giggle with a bird on that sign. The coyote is gorgeous — the wider shot with the long shadow is truly special.
And may the driver have to clean one — after someone has eaten a gallon of questionable chili AND some gas station sushi!
I enjoyed ALL OF YOUR CAPTURES! Thanks for sharing! I was in Carefree, Az then 4 years ago we settled in St. George
Great collection of photos Ron. I really like the photo of the coyote (both versions) – always nice to see a really healthy looking coyote. And that female harrier is a beauty also.
“always nice to see a really healthy looking coyote”
I couldn’t agree more. Thanks, Bill.
I really like both coyote photos — very nice colors and play of light and shadow throughout. Coyote looks to be wearing a winter coat.
Thanks, Kathryn. It does look he has his seasons mixed up a little.
No email from you this morning. And you don’t appear in my reading list. Neither does another WordPress birding blog I follow – though she has posted. Sigh.
I am glad that a comment came through to alert me that I needed to check.
I am so glad that man is a perfect fit for his job.
And love your much sweeter smelling pot pourri.
Wish I knew what was going on, EC. The same thing’s happening to another WP blog I follow (but this one belongs to a ‘he’). I’ll have to take some time to dig around WP and see if I can fix it.
Sounds like the perfect vocation for someone that behaves like what he’s hauling !
Well said, Laurel.
A neat mix! Thanks for including both versions of the coyote – the uncropped for the context, and yes that nice long shadow, and the closeup to show what a handsome critter it is. The raised wings on the Yellowlegs reminds me of the raised wing flaps test they do on airplanes before you take off. And the raised wings on the harrier, as Shirley says “victory position” – “Because I can!”
Glad you enjoyed the variety, Carolyn. Thank you.
Luv the variety! 🙂 Our Coyotes are much more gray here – that one’s a beauty! Yeh, the “fine fellow” in the truck is probably truely a fit for his job…. 😉
Glorious Northern Light last evening and earlier this morning. Lots of reds in the evening covering most of the sky. This morning white but waves and streaks moving VERY rapidly – almost like lightening or a fast time lapse. 🙂
See email is stil pretty much your whole post tho brings you here to comment…..
Thanks, Judy. There were displays last night in northern Utah but I couldn’t see them here in the city.
I still haven’t figured out how to fix those post emails. Some readers would probably prefer that I didn’t but for several reasons I really need to.
I see WC’s post is the same way so must be World Press……..
Yup. I noticed that too. Until I saw that I thought it might be in the theme settings but WC and I have different themes. So it’s probably WordPress acting up again.
Your coyote shot is wonderful.
Glad you like it, Catherine. Thanks.
Excellent Yellowlegs photo and really like the Coyote in a sea of grass. I have a very similar photo I took here that I have always very much liked. Like the Kestrel on the sign. Over the years I have taken a number of photos like this on No Parking, No Swimming etc.
I work with the Kestrel restoration folks here and it has been a really down year with very few sightings. Across the country the bird flu has taken down many of them. Sad, but it is what it is.
Thank you, Everett. Apparently, many raptor species have taken a hit from bird flu (avian influenza).
Another enjoyable FP potpourri!
Were you able to make out the band ID on the Kestrel?
Re the driver. Shi**y does as shi**y is.
Michael, she has two bands. I can only read part of the larger colored band on her right leg.
I , too, like the uncropped version of the coyote portrait. You almost
made me spit my coffee onto my laptop screen when I read your
quip about that honey bucket driver “deserving his job”…..good one !
Thank you, Kris. It isn’t often that I prefer the version of a photo where the subject is much smaller in the frame but that coyote photo is a case in point.
Glad you enjoyed the quip. I actually toned it down a little. I wasn’t happy with that guy…
An age old “victory position” of the harrier wings sort of like the arms raised position after a football touchdown? And it’s probably thinking a resounding ” Yesssssssssssssssssss!”
Shirley, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re right. Showboating.