Prairie Falcon Attempting An Incognito Takeoff
High perches are unusual in the flat bottomland expanses of Montana’s huge Centennial Valley so the few that exist can be a draw for raptors and other birds.
Category: Behaviors
Bullock’s Oriole Just After Stealing Food From A Spider
This handsome male Bullock’s Oriole had just made a clean getaway from an angry spider.
Savannah Sparrows With “Bugs” For Their Nestlings
Savannah Sparrows are incredibly efficient hunters while they’re feeding nestlings or fledglings.
The Burrowing Owl And The Meadowlark
This Western Meadowlark was decidedly unhappy with the presence of a hunting owl in its territory.
Fledgling Red-tailed Hawk Trying To Walk A “Tightrope”…
Male Mountain Bluebird Feeding A Hungry Fledgling
In the bird world fledglings of most species always seem to be starving, frantic, vocal and impatient. This young bluebird was no exception.
A Clumsy Red-tailed Hawk Fledgling From Yet Another Nest
Yesterday morning was a bittersweet experience for me on the young Red-tailed Hawk front. I’m afraid I have some bad news but it will be balanced by much more positive developments.
Red-tailed Hawk Chick Making A Hazardous Return To Its Nest
One of the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had with raptors was watching this youngster try to figure out how to safely return to its nest on the side of a cliff.
Red-tailed Hawk – A Teaser For Tomorrow’s Post
First an explanation as to why I’m holding back and only posting a teaser this morning.
Burrowing Owl Feeding Frenzy
I can’t imagine how frenzied these poor parents are as they try to keep this many chicks fed, fat and happy.
Red-tailed Hawk In Flight With A Duckling For His Chicks
Northern Harrier At An Unconventional Angle At Takeoff – plus…
Feet-forward Takeoff From A Loggerhead Shrike
With birds it’s quite often the little things that grab my attention and they don’t come much smaller than this. It was subtle and quick, very quick, but it’s one of the strategies that can make the difference between a meal and going hungry. 1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in Yesterday morning on Antelope Island I caught this Loggerhead Shrike swallowing a spider (the island is absolutely loaded with spiders – the state park actually holds an annual Spider Festival). The shrike hunted from this perch for about 5 minutes – launching after potential prey and then returning to the same hunting platform. When this shot was taken the sun was behind a cloud so I decided to crank up my ISO to get a little more shutter speed for takeoff shots. Even at ISO 1250 I needed more SS than this to get the wings of the incredibly fast bird sharp at takeoff but I was already at a higher ISO than I almost ever go. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in Thankfully the sun came out four minutes later and doubled my shutter speed. An instant after this photo was taken the shrike spotted prey (probably an insect or another spider) directly in front of it. In a typical takeoff the shrike would avoid any obstacles by altering its direction of…
Update On The Red-tailed Hawk Chicks Whose Nest Was Blown Down
Several readers requested that I report back about the status of these chicks when I learned anything new.
Red-naped Sapsuckers At The Nest Cavity
This is one of those situations that tempts unscrupulous photographers into unethical behaviors.
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Bullock’s Oriole Just After Stealing Food From A Spider
This handsome male Bullock’s Oriole had just made a clean getaway from an angry spider.
Savannah Sparrows With “Bugs” For Their Nestlings
Savannah Sparrows are incredibly efficient hunters while they’re feeding nestlings or fledglings.
The Burrowing Owl And The Meadowlark
This Western Meadowlark was decidedly unhappy with the presence of a hunting owl in its territory.
Fledgling Red-tailed Hawk Trying To Walk A “Tightrope”…
Male Mountain Bluebird Feeding A Hungry Fledgling
In the bird world fledglings of most species always seem to be starving, frantic, vocal and impatient. This young bluebird was no exception.
A Clumsy Red-tailed Hawk Fledgling From Yet Another Nest
Yesterday morning was a bittersweet experience for me on the young Red-tailed Hawk front. I’m afraid I have some bad news but it will be balanced by much more positive developments.
Red-tailed Hawk Chick Making A Hazardous Return To Its Nest
One of the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had with raptors was watching this youngster try to figure out how to safely return to its nest on the side of a cliff.
Red-tailed Hawk – A Teaser For Tomorrow’s Post
First an explanation as to why I’m holding back and only posting a teaser this morning.
Burrowing Owl Feeding Frenzy
I can’t imagine how frenzied these poor parents are as they try to keep this many chicks fed, fat and happy.
Red-tailed Hawk In Flight With A Duckling For His Chicks
Northern Harrier At An Unconventional Angle At Takeoff – plus…
Feet-forward Takeoff From A Loggerhead Shrike
With birds it’s quite often the little things that grab my attention and they don’t come much smaller than this. It was subtle and quick, very quick, but it’s one of the strategies that can make the difference between a meal and going hungry. 1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in Yesterday morning on Antelope Island I caught this Loggerhead Shrike swallowing a spider (the island is absolutely loaded with spiders – the state park actually holds an annual Spider Festival). The shrike hunted from this perch for about 5 minutes – launching after potential prey and then returning to the same hunting platform. When this shot was taken the sun was behind a cloud so I decided to crank up my ISO to get a little more shutter speed for takeoff shots. Even at ISO 1250 I needed more SS than this to get the wings of the incredibly fast bird sharp at takeoff but I was already at a higher ISO than I almost ever go. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in Thankfully the sun came out four minutes later and doubled my shutter speed. An instant after this photo was taken the shrike spotted prey (probably an insect or another spider) directly in front of it. In a typical takeoff the shrike would avoid any obstacles by altering its direction of…
Update On The Red-tailed Hawk Chicks Whose Nest Was Blown Down
Several readers requested that I report back about the status of these chicks when I learned anything new.
Red-naped Sapsuckers At The Nest Cavity
This is one of those situations that tempts unscrupulous photographers into unethical behaviors.