Birds – Page 275 – Feathered Photography

Kiting Male Northern Harrier

On this morning at Farmington Bay we weren’t having very much luck with birds so Mia suggested that we hang out next to a high dike where the south wind was creating an updraft that we’d seen a male Northern Harrier kiting in earlier. Despite the less than perfect light angle it turned out to be another one of Mia’s good ideas because it wasn’t long before the harrier returned to play in the updrafts and hunt the dike edges. 1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Two things made this an especially interesting situation – the fact that the harrier was kiting (giving us more time with the bird) and the variety of backgrounds we got when the harrier would move just a few feet in the air. It was a partly cloudy day and the bird was usually hanging just above the snow-covered Wasatch Range to the east so at times I got thin white clouds in the background, or a mix of clouds and blue sky, or both sky and mountains or the mountains alone. Throw into that mix the fact that the light was constantly changing because of the clouds and you’ll understand the exposure difficulties that morning. 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Because of the challenging light angle much of the harrier was often backlit but the head turn in this shot giving light on the head and eye made this image work for me. 1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 Here the light was…

Fighting Chukars

Obviously I’m not posting this shot for its image quality – it’s distinctly lacking in same. But what an experience we had with these Chukars this morning. We could see them fighting as we approached because they would occasionally jump up above the thick grasses while clawing and biting at each other in the air. I was amazed both by how vicious these fights were and by the incredible speed of these plump, roly-poly birds. 1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc We watched several of them fighting for perhaps 5 minutes but very few of my shots turned out because of the fast and furious action in low light and especially because my focus kept locking onto the foreground grasses. But this image should give you a flavor for what it was like and for what my latest photographic goal is – to find some fighting Chukars in better light and out in the open. I’m gonna work on it! Ron

Bathing Willet

Last summer at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge I slowly approached this bathing Willet in my pickup, fully expecting the bird to either fly off or wander further away in the shallow water of Lower Red Rock Lake. 1/2000, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc It eyed me warily until I had turned off the engine… 1/2000, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc but it was so intent on its bath that it quickly went back to minding its hygiene. 1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc For this shot the Willet turned its back on me a little but I liked the shot because it shows the furious action at the rear of the bird. 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc With water and feathers flying everywhere… 1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc it finally gave me a bit of a head turn again as it spread and raised its tail feathers for a good cleaning. 1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4 Then it hopped up on the shore for a vigorous shake. 1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4 By this time it had approached me so closely that I had to take off my teleconverter but even so I was tight enough on the bird that I wasn’t able to get the composition I would have preferred for these last three shots. 1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 400,…

Northern Harrier Vomiting

No great photography today but some interesting behavior. I’ve often seen and photographed various bird species hacking up a pellet but this was my first experience with one vomiting. 1/500, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc When I first got this Northern Harrier in my viewfinder I thought it was acting slightly odd – it seemed lethargic, reluctant to fly and its head was hanging low. Then it suddenly vomited. 1/500, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc The vomitus was thick, mucus-like and stringy and I’m quite sure no pellet was expelled. I had an email discussion about this behavior with a friend (thanks once again Ingrid) and sent her these photos. They were forwarded to the Cascades Raptor Center who said that this behavior is something they’ve not seen before and that it isn’t “normal”. When this bird had finished vomiting it stayed perched (very unusual) as I drove through a gate perhaps 25′ to the right of the bird. I drove down the road to let it recover in peace and when I returned about a half hour later it was gone. Ron

Meadowlark Take-off

Just a single image this time. While photographing magpies at their nest this morning this cheeky Western Meadowlark had the gall to land right next door to the nest for a few seconds before it took off again. 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, f00 f/4 I’d taken the teleconverter off for the larger magpies so it’s a bit of a heftier crop than I’d prefer and I wish I had a little more room up top for composition. And there’s some “stuff” in front of the bird but despite all that I liked the shot anyway. These meadowlarks are beginning to sing up a storm out on the island. Ron

Golden Eagle In The Wind And Cold

It was a brutal morning on the island yesterday with 25 degree F temps, winds of over 4o mph, fresh snow and icy roads. It was eerie-sounding to drive on the roads as the night before the snow had partially melted and then froze hard into a bumpy, icy and noisy sheet. I knew there’d be no sneaking up on any birds because my pickup sounded like a freight train approaching on that crunchy ice. The gulls were just about the only birds out and about. They seemed to enjoy soaring in the wind but when they’d settle into the water they chose areas partially protected from the wind, like this cove where the causeway meets the island. The night before the wind had pasted snow onto the sides of the bison and then it froze to their hides. Some of them were mostly covered with ice. This image and the next one should give regular readers of my blog some idea of why I occasionally grumble about all the dried sunflowers we have this year. They make it virtually impossible to get a clear shot of any subject on the ground. 1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc We had just about resigned ourselves to being essentially “skunked” for the morning when we spotted this Golden Eagle not too far from the road. It was feeding on what I assume was a jack-rabbit (it was relatively large and there are lots of them in the area) but of course it was buried in the sunflowers and I…

The Little Things That Change Our Lives

I recently received an email from one of my blog readers (thank you so much Ingrid Taylor!) that has caused me to pause for some serious reflection. Ingrid had noticed in one of my posts my mention of the fact that I had raised pigeons as a youngster in southern California. She loves pigeons and when she and her husband rescued and fostered two homing pigeons, “Chauncey and Clive”, they became deeply attached to them. In her email Ingrid asked me if I “retain any similar affections for pigeons” left over from my childhood. Do I ever! When I think back on just how much those few years with my pigeons changed my life for the better I’m simply astounded. When I was in 6th grade and living in Poway, California my friend Dennis (on the right in the photo, that’s me on the left) introduced me to the joys of raising pigeons. We each kept a variety of breeds – homers, tumblers, rollers, fantails, tippets, helmets and others. This is the pigeon coop that I built from scrap lumber and chicken wire at age 11 in 1959. I spent countless hours in that coop with my pigeons – caring for them, watching their behaviors and reading and then re-reading the huge book you see in my hand – “The Pigeon”, by Wendell Mitchell Levi. My parents supported and nurtured my obsession with my birds, largely for a reason I found out years later – that it “kept me out of trouble”. And they were probably right……

Just A Shot That I LIke… #23 – Prairie Falcon Take-Off

This morning I found this Prairie Falcon on top of a huge boulder – big enough that I was looking up at the bird. Its tail was hidden for the perched shots so my best hope was for take-off photos. 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc When it did lift off it started out in my direction which didn’t give me the best light on the bird. After the first wing beat it banked to the birds left which was ideal for good light. Only problem – I clipped a wing on all those shots. Maybe next time I’ll remember to take off the teleconverter! Ron

A Wonderful Antelope Island Morning – Including A Long-tailed Duck

It’s been a frustrating photography week for both Mia and I for a variety of reasons but it’s primarily been because the weather and light have seriously sucked – big time!. So when yesterday’s dawn showed promise we headed for the island with high hopes but low expectations because there haven’t been many bird opportunities out there recently. We were in for some pleasant surprises. I’ll present these images in the order they were taken to give a feel for the morning. 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc We had barely made it onto the causeway before this Rough-legged hawk began to entertain us. We watched as it ate a vole and then it immediately walked about two feet to its left and picked something else up with its foot. At first I assumed it was another vole, either alive or from a food cache. But in looking at close-ups of some of the photos I’m pretty sure it’s only a rock with old brine fly larvae cases and small twigs frozen to it. Then this hawk did something strange – it transferred the “rock” to its beak and deliberately flung it a good distance – here it’s flying through the air Then the bird walked over, picked up the rock in its left foot and flew off with it. My curiosity is killing me as to just what was going on. Obviously this isn’t a great shot but I was fascinated by the behavior. 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Next this Northern Harrier gave us…

A Bevy Of Barn Owls

This past summer we found a wonderful family of Barn Owls on Antelope Island. Of course they preferred one of the ugliest perches on the planet but what a treat to be able to photograph such a handsome familial group – presented here in ascending numbers of birds. I’ll let the owls “speak” for themselves. 1/125, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4 1/100, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4 1/125, f/8, ISO 640, 500 f/4 1/80, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4 1/20, f/13, ISO 500, 500 f/4 These birds hung out together until mid-summer and then most of them dispersed. I was delighted that the entire brood was raised successfully and hope the same thing happens this coming season. Ron

A Few Recent Loggerhead Shrikes

There’s always a few Loggerhead Shrikes that winter-over on Antelope Island and I find them to be fascinating subjects. Their approachability is very unpredictable but occasionally they’ll allow me to get close, especially when it’s very cold in the mornings or if they’re about to hack up a pellet. These are images I was able to get in the last few weeks. ***Note: The last image in this post is graphic. If your sensibilities might be offended by such a photo please stop scrolling before you get to the last (6th) image. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This bird was practicing its springtime melodic repertoire a few weeks early (image taken on 2/5/12). It was a relatively warm, sunny morning and it was singing its little heart out (if you can call shrike calls “singing”). 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc With their black masks these shrikes always remind me of little bandits and they have an attitude to go along with that perception. They get their name from their unusually large head (loggerhead means “block head”). 1/8000, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I like the soft, even light and the setting in this image even though the twigs in front of the bird may not be ideal for some. 1/640, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I’m including this shot just for fun. I liked the fluffy, relaxed pose to go along with the yawn. 1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500…

Avian Pox And Bird Feeders

Several years ago when I was new to bird photography I would often practice photographing the several species of birds that would come to my back yard feeder in order to improve my skills. Later that summer I began to notice birds with deformities, especially on or near their bills, eyes, legs and feet. At first I thought they were some kind of tumors but on the morning I took these shots I saw three birds (two House Finches and one Mourning Dove) that were affected so I became alarmed and took the photos to the vertebrate disease specialist at Division of Wildlife Resources here in Salt Lake City. The diagnosis was avian pox. Mourning Dove with avian pox growths on bill Avian pox is a serious disease of many species of birds caused by several strains of avipoxvirus. The most common form, cutaneous pox, causes wart-like growths around eyes, beak, legs or any unfeathered skin. Those warts may interfere with feeding, sight, breathing or perching. Affected birds often become emaciated due to the inability to feed. Avian pox causes significant mortality in infected birds but they often recover as long as they’re able to feed. There is no evidence that avipoxvirus affects humans. Same bird, right side view Birds become infected with the virus through direct physical contact with infected birds, ingestion of food or water contaminated by other infected birds or through contact with contaminated surfaces – especially at bird feeders and perches. The virus enters through skin surfaces that have become abraded…

Just A Shot That I Like… #22 – Wet And Bedraggled Prairie Falcon

For several months this winter this young Prairie Falcon would hang around the Antelope Island causeway in the early mornings hunting ducks (mostly Northern Shovelers). There’s very few ducks there now so the falcon spends most of its time on the island (rather than on the causeway) hunting Western Meadowlarks and Horned Larks. Since falcons are much more difficult to approach in the wide open expanses of the island I doubt I’ll get any more closeups of this bird anytime soon. 1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4 On this mostly cloudy morning the light was poor but shortly after I approached this bird there was just enough sun coming through a thin spot in the clouds to give me some light in the eyes. Some of the lower feathers of the falcon were wet and bedraggled which I assume was caused by hunting ducks in the shallows of the lake. I’m always delighted whenever I can get close enough to one of the larger falcons that I can remove my teleconverter. To say that doesn’t happen very often is huge understatement. Ron

Swainson’s Hawk

A recent comment on this blog by Mike Shaw reminded me that I’ve never made a Swainson’s Hawk blog post. Part of the reason is because I’ve had relatively few opportunities with them so my files are limited. But in reviewing my images I thought I had enough acceptable photos to make a representative post on the species. I’ve deliberately chosen shots that show these hawks from a variety of angles – front, back, side and in flight. 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I found this young bird hunting grasshoppers along a gravel road at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. It would catch a ‘hopper, eat it on the road and then return to a nearby fencepost to watch for more of them. The bird seemed to be fearless and paid me very little attention. 1/1200, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4 Occasionally it would land on a different post but it didn’t stray far for quite a while. With this pose we get a good look at the back side. 1/1600, f/8, ISO 320, 500 f/4 I thought this screaming pose was interesting enough to include here despite the nictitating membrane partially covering the eye and the slight tightness on the tail. 1/1000, f/8, ISO 320, 500 f/4 This is a different bird and I include the image for the good look at the underside plumage patterns in flight. 1/1600, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I found this cooperative adult at Farmington Bay Wildlife…

Stansbury Mountain Red-tailed Hawk

I like to photograph raptors (or most any bird, really) in this kind of light when I think I can get away with it. When I first started photographing birds I always made an effort to get the light source directly behind me and now I shudder to think of the interesting light I sometimes missed, especially since what I ended up with was often something rather mundane. I recently posted a somewhat similar image of a red-tail but the poses and settings in the two photos are quite different from each other. 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I found this hawk perched in dappled, directional light a few months ago. It was near the bottom of a canyon in the Stansbury Mountains of Utah so I was looking slightly down on the bird – a perspective I appreciate if the angle isn’t too steep. I like the haughty pose – which was actually a reaction to another red-tail flying toward this bird. Ron

Category: Birds