The Function of Ocelli (false eyes) In Raptors
Some falcons, hawks and owls have two ocelli (eye-like patches or “false eyes”) on the back of their head. Their function may not be as presumed.
Category: Diurnal Raptors
Rough-legged Hawk At Farmington Bay
I photographed my first Rough-legged Hawk of the season four days ago. The last time I’d photographed them prior to that had been on January 27, 2014 so it had been 285 days in-between opportunities with this species that spends much of the year in the high arctic. Hopefully that gives me an excuse to post images of roughies twice within just a few days.
Golden Eagle – Out, Damn’d Wires, Out!
I have a small list of personal nemesis species but if forced to choose the top contender it would have to be the shy and elusive Golden Eagle. I’d estimate that I get a reasonable chance with one of these birds about two times per year and every time something goes wrong that prevents me from getting the photos I covet so much. Two mornings ago it was those ever-pesky power lines.
Red-tailed Hawk At 40 MPH
My FOY Rough-legged Hawk And A Rookie Mistake In Setting Up A New Camera
I found my FOY (first of year) Rough-legged Hawk yesterday morning but largely blew the photographic opportunity because of a rookie mistake in setting up my new 7D Mark ll.
Swainson’s Hawk Up Close And In Flight
This juvenile Swainson’s Hawk had no fear. I believe it thought of vehicles (and their contents) as no more threatening than the boulders or trees that are common in this area of the Centennial Valley.
Red-tailed Hawk Negotiating Obstacles At Take-off
I’m often surprised and impressed by the dexterity and athleticism of larger raptors as they take off through a maze of tree branches or other obstructions.
Red-tailed Hawk (and a new blog post, finally!)
I love the coloration of this bird and always appreciate getting wispy clouds mixed with blue sky in the background.
East Canyon Red-tailed Hawk
I spent yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains looking for raptors and other birds. I had my best luck with Red-tailed Hawks.
An Osprey Pirouette
This female Osprey seemed stiff and less confident of her agility immediately after being relieved from many hours of nesting duty.
Joshua Trees, A Red-tailed Hawk And Waiting For The Moon
My recent camping trip to the Mojave Desert of southwestern Utah was slow on birds but I didn’t come home “skunked” either.
A Digestive Surprise For A Young Swainson’s Hawk
I believe this juvenile Swainson’s Hawk was taken by surprise by what it found in its mouth.
Northern Harriers Playing With Toys
In a recent post I documented “play” in Northern Harriers. Two days ago I photographed two of them playing – with each other and with “toys”.
An Acrobatic Red-tailed Hawk
Raptors sometimes pull some pretty crazy maneuvers during take-off (the last 9 images in this post are sequential with no images in the sequence left out).
Montana Merlin In The Fog
Last month I posted a few images of this Merlin in the fog. For subtle reasons this may be my favorite from the entire session with the bird.
-
Rough-legged Hawk At Farmington Bay
I photographed my first Rough-legged Hawk of the season four days ago. The last time I’d photographed them prior to that had been on January 27, 2014 so it had been 285 days in-between opportunities with this species that spends much of the year in the high arctic. Hopefully that gives me an excuse to post images of roughies twice within just a few days.
Golden Eagle – Out, Damn’d Wires, Out!
I have a small list of personal nemesis species but if forced to choose the top contender it would have to be the shy and elusive Golden Eagle. I’d estimate that I get a reasonable chance with one of these birds about two times per year and every time something goes wrong that prevents me from getting the photos I covet so much. Two mornings ago it was those ever-pesky power lines.
Red-tailed Hawk At 40 MPH
My FOY Rough-legged Hawk And A Rookie Mistake In Setting Up A New Camera
I found my FOY (first of year) Rough-legged Hawk yesterday morning but largely blew the photographic opportunity because of a rookie mistake in setting up my new 7D Mark ll.
Swainson’s Hawk Up Close And In Flight
This juvenile Swainson’s Hawk had no fear. I believe it thought of vehicles (and their contents) as no more threatening than the boulders or trees that are common in this area of the Centennial Valley.
Red-tailed Hawk Negotiating Obstacles At Take-off
I’m often surprised and impressed by the dexterity and athleticism of larger raptors as they take off through a maze of tree branches or other obstructions.
Red-tailed Hawk (and a new blog post, finally!)
I love the coloration of this bird and always appreciate getting wispy clouds mixed with blue sky in the background.
East Canyon Red-tailed Hawk
I spent yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains looking for raptors and other birds. I had my best luck with Red-tailed Hawks.
An Osprey Pirouette
This female Osprey seemed stiff and less confident of her agility immediately after being relieved from many hours of nesting duty.
Joshua Trees, A Red-tailed Hawk And Waiting For The Moon
My recent camping trip to the Mojave Desert of southwestern Utah was slow on birds but I didn’t come home “skunked” either.
A Digestive Surprise For A Young Swainson’s Hawk
I believe this juvenile Swainson’s Hawk was taken by surprise by what it found in its mouth.
Northern Harriers Playing With Toys
In a recent post I documented “play” in Northern Harriers. Two days ago I photographed two of them playing – with each other and with “toys”.
An Acrobatic Red-tailed Hawk
Raptors sometimes pull some pretty crazy maneuvers during take-off (the last 9 images in this post are sequential with no images in the sequence left out).
Montana Merlin In The Fog
Last month I posted a few images of this Merlin in the fog. For subtle reasons this may be my favorite from the entire session with the bird.