Birds – Page 284 – Feathered Photography

Just A Shot That I Like… #18 – Fighting Ring-necked Pheasants

In this neck of the woods Ring-necked Pheasants start feeling frisky about this time of year. Territories are being established, hormones flowing and feathers flying. When fighting, these birds flutter up against each other breast to breast, bite each other’s wattles and sometimes make high leaps toward each other using claws, bills and spurs. It can be quite dramatic. Just as the sun came over the mountains I pulled into a gravel hunter’s parking lot at the refuge and noticed these two birds going at it. I assumed they wouldn’t let me get close enough for quality photos but they were so intent on their battle that they mostly ignored me and I was able to get just close enough. 1/640, f/9, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc With the low light I was fighting for both shutter speed and depth of field and was pleasantly surprised to get both birds sharp at these settings. I’m always very happy to get behavioral shots like this, busy background or not. Ron

Birds, Spiders, Brine Flies and Mercury Contamination on Antelope Island

Last Sunday I found this Northern Shrike on Antelope Island enthusiastically singing away as if spring were already in full bloom. Their predatory habits and interesting behaviors make them a favorite species for me but when I got home that day I read an article in the Salt Lake Tribune that made me wonder just how healthy their populations near the Great Salt Lake really are. North end of Antelope Island, 2/5/12 The reason for my concern is a bit complex but I’ll summarize: For over 100 years smelting operations have been responsible for high levels of elemental mercury in the Great Salt Lake and its sediments. Microorganisms in the lake convert the mercury to methyl mercury which is the toxic form of the element that can be absorbed by tissues of living things. Brine fly larvae living in the lake then absorb the methyl mercury and when they hatch the adult flies are consumed by spiders living in the vegetation around the lake. Finally, those spiders are eaten by the many bird species living and nesting along the shoreline. But very little is known about the movement of mercury compounds through Great Salt Lake ecosystems, including the possible effects of toxic methyl mercury on birds so Westminster College’s Great Salt Lake Institute was recently awarded a $250,000 grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation to study its possible effects. Antelope Island causeway, 8/29/11 The number and total biomass of brine flies in late summer around the lake literally boggles the mind but this shot should give you some idea. It was taken in late August of…

American Kestrels In Snow, Frost And Fog

Photographing American Kestrels near the Great Salt Lake during the coldest parts of winter is a two-edged sword. On the one hand the frigid temperatures in December and January make the kestrels “stickier” – much less likely to fly off before you can get close enough for quality photos. But there’s a down side too. Moisture from the lake often forms fog or at least makes the air so incredibly laden with moisture that good lighting often becomes an issue. I’ll still take the shot under some of those conditions though – a close-up with the bird large enough to very nearly fill the frame is still usually much more desirable than a well-lit bird so small in the frame that little detail can be seen. 2000, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc In this image the background is snow and there had been a blizzard the day before which had stacked snow up on one side of the perch. This was one of the first times I’d ever been close enough to a kestrel to get a frame-filling image and I well remember having a case of “buck fever” while photographing him at such close range. Also a bit unusual was the fact that I was actually looking slightly down at him – something that doesn’t happen often with kestrels. 1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This shot illustrates well what you get when the atmosphere is so laden with moisture when it’s very cold – fog, low but even light, some reduction in detail and sometimes…

Just A Shot That I Like… #17 – Short-eared Owl In Flight With A Vole In Its Beak

This is another image from my time with the Short-eared Owls at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. This male was kept very busy hunting voles and feeding his mate and youngsters at the nest. Typically I would see him hunting far off, dive for a vole, and if he was successful he’d occasionally eat the vole himself but most often he would return with it to a favorite perch in the vicinity of the nest – and without exception he would always carry the vole in his talons before he got to the perch (and always his left talon, but I covered that topic in another post). 1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 800, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc However, just before (or just after) he took off from the perch to deliver the meal to his family he would always transfer the vole from his talons to his beak. I have a theory as to why he did so. The nest was on the ground at the base of a sagebrush. Whenever the male landed at the entrance to the nest with the vole the female would rush out and very aggressively grab the vole. And I DO mean aggressively! If I’d been him I’d have been afraid to get that close to her with food. So the male would approach the nest very gingerly with the vole in his beak and drop it in front of him and quickly retreat as she rushed out. I suspect it was easier for him to avoid a confrontation with her if he could quickly drop…

Odd Behavior In A Young Male Northern Harrier

It’s likely that I’m more interested in bird behaviors than some of my readers – if so I hope you’ll bear with me through this post. Even though the light was terrible for photography much of the time, witnessing this odd behavior was a treat for me. As most folks who try to photograph harriers know, they’re generally an elusive quarry and difficult to get close to. Occasionally you may get a close fly-by if you’re lucky but yesterday I had an experience with a harrier that I had never seen before and I’ve spent a lot of time around harriers. Mia and I first found the bird (a young male just transitioning to adult plumage) perched close to the road and as we attempted to get close for some shots it lifted off, just as we expected. I assumed it was long gone as usually happens with these birds but that’s not how it turned out. 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc As we were preparing to drive further down the road we noticed the harrier coming back and it landed quite close to us again. Very unusual, so we decided to hang around and see how the cards played out. 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc The harrier began to call. Sometimes it sounded like the typical harrier call that I’ve heard so many times in the past but occasionally this bird sounded different – Mia thought it sounded almost like a parrot. 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc It stayed on the same…

Just A Shot That I Like… #16 – Black-billed Magpie In Flight

Black-billed Magpies aren’t appreciated by everyone. Their raucous behavior and scavenging habits put some folks off but I’m quite fond of them for their relatively high intelligence and incredibly interesting behaviors (examples – they conduct ritualistic “funerals” of up to 40 birds around the dead bodies of other magpies and you haven’t lived until you’ve seen one tormenting a cat by repeatedly pulling its tail). That said, they’re very difficult photographic subjects. Their black plumage soaks in the light while the bright white feathers reflect nearly all of it so getting exposure and detail in the overall bird is incredibly challenging. I probably delete a higher percentage of images I take of magpies than I do of any other species I regularly photograph which makes getting an image I like especially rewarding . I enjoy meeting the challenge… 1/1250, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4 When the light’s at the right angle you can sometimes get impressive iridescence in the blacks which also helps to bring out some of the detail there. This bird had just taken off from the sagebrush that its nest is deeply buried in. And it was even considerate enough to give me a pleasing head turn and eye contact as it did so. I’ve photographed this bird and its mate at their nesting site for three years now (and yes I’m very careful not to disturb them). Can’t wait for early spring to try it again. Ron

Northern Harrier Hunting a Vole

Over the last five years I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time photographing, watching and studying hunting Northern Harriers. When they pounce on their prey the action is usually so far away (or buried in the vegetation) that I don’t get a good look at what’s actually happening. But all that changed with this adult female who was so intent on capturing a vole buried deep in the matted, dried vegetation that she virtually ignored me. What fun to watch! Unlike most other hawks, harriers very often use auditory cues (sound) to locate prey. In fact they have a facial “ruff” or disc much like owls do and its purpose is the same – to funnel sounds to the ears. The feathers that form the disc can be raised in response to noise, essentially enlarging the disc and improving hearing. 1/1000, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Harriers often hunt along predictable “pathways” and this one had made several passes by me earlier. However this time she attempted to pounced on something right in front of me – almost certainly it was a vole since they are very nearly the exclusive diet of wintering harriers. 1/1000, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc She missed the vole but from her demeanor she could obviously hear it under the mat of vegetation and she became quite agitated in her attempts to get at it. 1/1600, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc She repeatedly rose into the air a couple of feet and pounced back down on the same spot with her…

Just A Shot That I Like… #15 – Rough-legged Hawk Lift Off

Ugly perches have been the bain of my photographic existence lately. When a bird lets me get unusually close it always seems to be on a metal post, sign, hunk of concrete , telephone pole or even a sailboat mast. For that reason I’ve been attempting a lot of take-off shots recently. 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4 Case in point: a few weeks ago this hawk let me get ridiculously close but it was perched on a particularly unattractive metal sign. The light angle was good so I removed my teleconverter and waited to see if it would take-off, fully expecting it to launch away from me as they usually do. What a pleasant surprise when it took off parallel to me and gave me good eye contact at the same time. I particularly like the good detail, the blood on the feet from its last meal and the nice look at those namesake “rough legs”. Ron

Eastern Kingbirds

It’s snowing hard as I write this and it’s been overcast and gloomy for days which has turned my thoughts to spring birds. Eastern Kingbirds are a prime example as they winter in the Amazon so seeing them around here is a sure sign of springtime. They’re a fascinating species. Kingbirds are notorious for their aggressive nature toward other birds and their scientific name Tyrannus tyrannus very appropriately means “tyrant, despot or king”. During the breeding season they’re a “sit and wait predator”, largely of flying insects though they eat mostly fruit while on their winter range. They have never been observed to drink water – apparently getting enough of it in their insect and fruit diet. They virtually never walk anywhere! Most locomotion is by flight and when on the ground they either hop to a new location or take short flights but they don’t walk. The only time walking has ever been observed is during nest site selection. 1/1000, f/9, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc The kingbird in the first four photos of this post was the most cooperative specimen of the species I’ve ever photographed. It let me get close while on a natural perch (as opposed to the fence wires they so often prefer) and it gave me a variety of interesting calling, preening and stretching poses for almost five minutes. 1/2000, f/9, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc As the bird moved to my left on the perch it (the perch) developed a different character due to the curving twig coming off the main branch. Here the kingbird is beginning an elaborate…

Just A Shot That I Like… #14 – Prairie Falcon Warming In The Early Morning Sun

As I’ve mentioned previously in this blog Prairie Falcons have been one of my nemesis birds for a very long time. But recently I had several close up opportunities with the species. 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This juvenile falcon had been hunting smaller duck species along the shore of the Great Salt Lake and would occasionally rest on some shoreline rocks. This time I caught it enjoying the warming rays of the sun just minutes after sunrise. Here the warm light has just reached the bird and perch but hadn’t yet hit much of the water in the background. I’ve posted several images of this species recently and perhaps I’ve overdone it but I guess my excitement over finally “conquering” a nemesis just got the best of me… Ron Addendum: A note to any bird photographers who may notice my camera settings for this image and wonder about them. I certainly didn’t need 1/3200 shutter speed for this static image but I had already taken multiple shots of this falcon with more appropriate settings for a perched bird so now that I had enough light I decided to increase my shutter speed in preparation for take-off. But of course the bird took off facing away from me so I deleted those images.

Just A Shot That I Like…#13 – Puffed-Up Chukar In Golden Light

During spring and early summer Chukars habitually call from large rock perches but in winter they’re secretive, elusive and very difficult to approach. On the rare occasions I can get close to the species this time of year they’re buried in the vegetation and I can’t get a clear shot. 1/800, f/8, ISO 800, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc But I found this bird on a nice boulder perch last month on one of the first very cold mornings of the winter. The sun had just come up over the Wasatch Mountains and this Chukar was determined to absorb some heat from the warming rays so it hardly moved a feather for the several minutes I was able to keep it in frame. At times like this they fluff up their insulating feathers and always remind me of the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Or perhaps the bird simply swallowed a softball, ya think? Full disclosure – I cloned out a couple of bird droppings on the rock which is something I seldom do but in this case they were quite conspicuous and distracting. Ron

American Kestrel Preening on a Rabbitbrush Perch

American Kestrels are pugnacious and skittish little falcons that are usually difficult to approach. But last week I found a cooperative male warming himself in the early morning sun while perched on rabbitbrush. Though feisty by nature this kestrel looked almost cuddly while all puffed up against the cold and nestled into the bush. 1/2000, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I first approached him head-on which gave me some images where bird and perch combined to produce a pyramid shape that I liked. 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc But then I maneuvered to get a different angle so that at least part of the tail would be visible. In these early shots my camera settings were meant to give me enough shutter speed for the take-off that I fully expected. 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 250, 500 f/4 But when he began to groom contentedly I started fiddling with my settings to get shutter speeds and depth of field more appropriate for the situation. Here he is passing one of his tail feathers through his bill in typical preening behavior. 1/1600, f/8, ISO 250, 500 f/4 He gave me a variety of preening poses that I liked. 1/1250, f/8, ISO 250, 500 f/4 Some of the neck feathers are difficult to reach so they go through some strange contortions in an effort to get to them. 1/1600, f/8, ISO 320, 500 f/4 Here the eye was half closed but I was still able to get a catch light. …

Just A Shot That I Like… #12, American Avocet Ballet

Occasionally an image still appeals to me despite significant imperfections. In this shot the cluttered background is not ideal nor are the specular highlights on the leg of the male’s reflection but I quite like the positions of both birds, their reflections and the good separation between the avocets and the reflections. 1/1250, f/10, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Fighting avocets are very difficult to photograph because typically several male combatants are separated from each other by some distance and you never know which bird is going to go after another one next and when the action begins it is blindingly fast. There’s also the problem of getting enough shutter speed and depth of field for multiple birds in action. Shooting these birds fighting is nearly always a “poke and hope” situation. Setting the scene: I had been photographing four males fighting over a single female (sexes easily identifiable because the female has a shorter and more strongly recurved bill than does the male) when this male lifted off and attacked two other males just out of frame to the right. I just happened to catch the male in a good position over the female with reflections I liked. One of the things that made this shot work is that I had enough light to use f/10 for sufficient depth of field and still get a fast enough (just barely) shutter speed to get both birds relatively sharp. Ron

Peregrine Falcon Feeding Behavior (graphic)

The Peregrine Falcon has always been a nemesis bird for me. I’ve occasionally seen them far off, either in flight or perched, but have never been able to get close to one. All that changed last week when I spent an incredible half hour very close to a young bird while it was feeding on a female Northern Shoveler. That’s the good news. The bad news is that there was no LIGHT! DAMMITALL! It was heavily overcast with only a bright spot in the clouds to mark the position of the sun. As usual, this kind of situation requires lots of compromises between shutter speed, ISO, depth of field, motion blur, catch lights, ad infinitum… So compromise I did but I still got many feeding behavior images I find interesting. And since one of the primary focuses of this blog is bird behaviors, you guessed it – a blog post… First – a warning. Some of these photos are graphic. Proceed with caution if your sensitivities are fragile. 1/250, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc As I first approached this falcon it was depluming the duck. At times feathers were flying everywhere but at these shutter speeds and apertures many of those shots ended up in the delete bin. At this point I was still using the 1.4 teleconverter but the bird soon let me approach close enough that I was able to ditch the tc and get slightly more shutter speed. Take visual note of the size of the crop in this image when the falcon has just begun…

Award Winning Image

Maybe it’s a little tacky of me to toot my own horn but I figured that some of my readers might be interested in this and wouldn’t find out any other way. Yesterday Nature Photographers Network announced the 2011 winners of their annual Editor’s Pick Awards and one of my images won first place in the Avian category. I’ll provide several links below for those who may be interested in seeing my winning photograph and those of the other winners. For those who are unfamiliar with Nature Photographers Network (NPN) it is primarily a nature photography critique site which will explain the critiques below the photos. My image. Be sure to click the “view larger photo” option to see the photo in much better detail. The front page of the NPN Online Magazine, which includes a slide show presentation of the First Place winning images in each of the 9 different categories. Be sure to check them out (hold your cursor over the image to temporarily stop the slide show) as there are some wonderful nature photographs in the presentation. The first, second and third place winning images in each of the nine categories, including the critiques given on each photograph. Ron

Category: Birds