Northern Harrier Surprise
Sometimes bird photographers have to be a little crafty to get the shot.
Category: Birds
Canvasbacks – Feeding and Fighting
Because of its striking appearance the Canvasback is often referred to as the “aristocrat” of ducks. But as you’ll see, it’s difficult to look aristocratic with your face, head and neck slathered in mud.
American Bittern In Habitat
The American Bittern may be the most elusive avian subject I’ve ever photographed. They’re solitary, cryptically colored and their preferred habitat is wetlands with tall, emergent vegetation. And they’re extremely secretive by nature. So much so that very little is known about their biology, which is too bad because perhaps if we understood them better we could more effectively manage their seriously declining populations.
Long-billed Curlew Courtship Behaviors
A week ago today, on 3/29/13, I photographed a pair of courting Long-billed Curlews on Antelope Island. For sexual ID purposes, notice that the female of this species (on the right in this first image) is larger than the male and has a significantly longer bill. It’s also been my observation that the male is darker and redder than the female but I don’t see that mentioned in the physical descriptions in the field guides and other sources that I’ve read.
A Close Encounter With A Short-eared Owl
This was a day I’m sure I’ll never forget – my first up close experience with an owl of any species in the wild. I’d only been photographing birds for about a year and I still had a lot to learn – about my gear, about technique and about my avian subjects.
A Couple Of More Meadowlarks
I wanted to post two more recent Western Meadowlark images that weren’t take-off shots, like my last post of this species. 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light This image, taken four days ago, shows the bright yellows on the belly, breast and throat but part of the bird is obscured. Obviously it was singing up a storm. Just looking at the image brings the song into my head. 1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light And this one, from two days ago, shows the backside. I was very close to this bird. So close that I had to shoot vertically, which complicates things with my long, awkward lens. By the time I had it framed and got off a few shots I realized that my settings were wrong for the situation (didn’t need the high ISO or shutter speed and more depth of field would have kept more of the sagebrush sharp) but by then it was too late and the bird took off. Sometimes birds cooperate and then they don’t… Ron PS – As I was working on this post which was meant to be published tomorrow morning I hit “publish” instead of “update” before it was ready. So there’s some “hiccups” in it, especially for those who get the post emails. Sorry. I’ve always worried about doing that…
Coot Running Through Walls Of Water
Coots are quarrelsome, belligerent and cantankerous, especially the males in springtime before the females lay their eggs. Sometimes weaker combatants are killed.
A Meadowlark Morning
Yesterday morning there was meadowlark magic on the island. They were almost everywhere, singing lustily from atop their sagebrush and rabbitbrush perches (and more than a few ugly signposts). Several times I just stopped the truck, turned the engine off and got outside to listen. You could hear dozens of them simultaneously – some very close, some far away and others everywhere in between. Their melodious calls literally bounced off the hilltops.
A Spring Morning In The West Desert
We had a wonderful time out on the west desert again this morning. The light was great, the birds were singing and everything was clear, crisp and clean. This post is meant to give you a feel for what it was like.
Red And Blue On Red And Blue – American Kestrel
This image was taken several years ago in early October at Farmington Bay. I’ve always liked the color combinations in the shot. The background is the deeply shaded Wasatch Mountains. The reds are caused by the fall colors of scrub oak and other vegetation. 1/125, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in It was overcast, with clearing to the west (behind me) so it was bright back there. This kind of lighting often produces a horizontal catch light in the eye, rather than the more typical pinpoint catch light. I often like that effect, as I do here. I’ve seen noticeably fewer kestrels this winter and early spring than I have for many years. I sure hope there’s nothing ominous going on… Ron
West Desert Red-tailed Hawk
I spotted this adult Red-tailed Hawk perched on the side of a hill and hoped to get some take-off shots as it lifted off and then perhaps some full flight images. I always try to anticipate direction of take-off in this type of situation and I was pretty sure it would lift off to my left in the direction it’s facing. But I was wrong…
A Chukar Sentry Abandons Its Post
I’ve never been able to get a Chukar in flight or taking off, largely because they’re so hesitant to fly. Even when they’re perched on an elevated rock they usually just hop to the ground when they’re ready to leave. And when they do fly, typical of most upland game birds, they fly very fast, low to the ground and away from you which makes for an almost impossible target. But I got one yesterday morning, taking off. 1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 500, 100-400 @260mm, natural light This bird was acting as a sentry (also called a sentinel) for a small group of other Chukars nearby. It’s observation perch of choice was a sign post that was high enough that it had to actually fly when it decided to leave. I was too close to this bird for my 500mm lens so I quickly grabbed my 100-400 zoom lens and when it looked like it might be thinking of taking off I zoomed back far enough to give the Chukar enough room to fly into. I had plenty of light for a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the wings of even this buzz-saw flier (those relatively short wings on such a chunky bird really have to churn to get it airborne) and was lucky enough to catch the wings in a position I like. A more appealing perch would have been nice but I’m pleased with the way most everything else turned out. Ron
A Great Horned Owl And Old Wood
This adult Great Horned Owl was perched in one of the granary cutouts on my family farm in nw Montana. I’ve had many opportunities with them in such a setting because the owls have been there for years and there’s lots of old weathered granaries and barns there that they like to roost in.
This time I thought I’d go with a composition that brings the wood a little more into play.
Long-billed Curlews Have Finally Returned To Antelope Island
One of my favorite birds on the island is the Long-billed Curlew. They’ve been gone for a long time and I’ve missed them but they’re back now, as of two days ago.
Fighting Male Short-eared Owls
I’ve posted once before about the fighting Male Short-eared Owls I photographed in south-west Montana but I spent several days with these sparring birds and thought they deserved some more attention on my blog.
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Canvasbacks – Feeding and Fighting
Because of its striking appearance the Canvasback is often referred to as the “aristocrat” of ducks. But as you’ll see, it’s difficult to look aristocratic with your face, head and neck slathered in mud.
American Bittern In Habitat
The American Bittern may be the most elusive avian subject I’ve ever photographed. They’re solitary, cryptically colored and their preferred habitat is wetlands with tall, emergent vegetation. And they’re extremely secretive by nature. So much so that very little is known about their biology, which is too bad because perhaps if we understood them better we could more effectively manage their seriously declining populations.
Long-billed Curlew Courtship Behaviors
A week ago today, on 3/29/13, I photographed a pair of courting Long-billed Curlews on Antelope Island. For sexual ID purposes, notice that the female of this species (on the right in this first image) is larger than the male and has a significantly longer bill. It’s also been my observation that the male is darker and redder than the female but I don’t see that mentioned in the physical descriptions in the field guides and other sources that I’ve read.
A Close Encounter With A Short-eared Owl
This was a day I’m sure I’ll never forget – my first up close experience with an owl of any species in the wild. I’d only been photographing birds for about a year and I still had a lot to learn – about my gear, about technique and about my avian subjects.
A Couple Of More Meadowlarks
I wanted to post two more recent Western Meadowlark images that weren’t take-off shots, like my last post of this species. 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light This image, taken four days ago, shows the bright yellows on the belly, breast and throat but part of the bird is obscured. Obviously it was singing up a storm. Just looking at the image brings the song into my head. 1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light And this one, from two days ago, shows the backside. I was very close to this bird. So close that I had to shoot vertically, which complicates things with my long, awkward lens. By the time I had it framed and got off a few shots I realized that my settings were wrong for the situation (didn’t need the high ISO or shutter speed and more depth of field would have kept more of the sagebrush sharp) but by then it was too late and the bird took off. Sometimes birds cooperate and then they don’t… Ron PS – As I was working on this post which was meant to be published tomorrow morning I hit “publish” instead of “update” before it was ready. So there’s some “hiccups” in it, especially for those who get the post emails. Sorry. I’ve always worried about doing that…
Coot Running Through Walls Of Water
Coots are quarrelsome, belligerent and cantankerous, especially the males in springtime before the females lay their eggs. Sometimes weaker combatants are killed.
A Meadowlark Morning
Yesterday morning there was meadowlark magic on the island. They were almost everywhere, singing lustily from atop their sagebrush and rabbitbrush perches (and more than a few ugly signposts). Several times I just stopped the truck, turned the engine off and got outside to listen. You could hear dozens of them simultaneously – some very close, some far away and others everywhere in between. Their melodious calls literally bounced off the hilltops.
A Spring Morning In The West Desert
We had a wonderful time out on the west desert again this morning. The light was great, the birds were singing and everything was clear, crisp and clean. This post is meant to give you a feel for what it was like.
Red And Blue On Red And Blue – American Kestrel
This image was taken several years ago in early October at Farmington Bay. I’ve always liked the color combinations in the shot. The background is the deeply shaded Wasatch Mountains. The reds are caused by the fall colors of scrub oak and other vegetation. 1/125, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in It was overcast, with clearing to the west (behind me) so it was bright back there. This kind of lighting often produces a horizontal catch light in the eye, rather than the more typical pinpoint catch light. I often like that effect, as I do here. I’ve seen noticeably fewer kestrels this winter and early spring than I have for many years. I sure hope there’s nothing ominous going on… Ron
West Desert Red-tailed Hawk
I spotted this adult Red-tailed Hawk perched on the side of a hill and hoped to get some take-off shots as it lifted off and then perhaps some full flight images. I always try to anticipate direction of take-off in this type of situation and I was pretty sure it would lift off to my left in the direction it’s facing. But I was wrong…
A Chukar Sentry Abandons Its Post
I’ve never been able to get a Chukar in flight or taking off, largely because they’re so hesitant to fly. Even when they’re perched on an elevated rock they usually just hop to the ground when they’re ready to leave. And when they do fly, typical of most upland game birds, they fly very fast, low to the ground and away from you which makes for an almost impossible target. But I got one yesterday morning, taking off. 1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 500, 100-400 @260mm, natural light This bird was acting as a sentry (also called a sentinel) for a small group of other Chukars nearby. It’s observation perch of choice was a sign post that was high enough that it had to actually fly when it decided to leave. I was too close to this bird for my 500mm lens so I quickly grabbed my 100-400 zoom lens and when it looked like it might be thinking of taking off I zoomed back far enough to give the Chukar enough room to fly into. I had plenty of light for a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the wings of even this buzz-saw flier (those relatively short wings on such a chunky bird really have to churn to get it airborne) and was lucky enough to catch the wings in a position I like. A more appealing perch would have been nice but I’m pleased with the way most everything else turned out. Ron
A Great Horned Owl And Old Wood
This adult Great Horned Owl was perched in one of the granary cutouts on my family farm in nw Montana. I’ve had many opportunities with them in such a setting because the owls have been there for years and there’s lots of old weathered granaries and barns there that they like to roost in.
This time I thought I’d go with a composition that brings the wood a little more into play.
Long-billed Curlews Have Finally Returned To Antelope Island
One of my favorite birds on the island is the Long-billed Curlew. They’ve been gone for a long time and I’ve missed them but they’re back now, as of two days ago.
Fighting Male Short-eared Owls
I’ve posted once before about the fighting Male Short-eared Owls I photographed in south-west Montana but I spent several days with these sparring birds and thought they deserved some more attention on my blog.