Favorite Locations – Page 123 – Feathered Photography

Storm Clouds Over Antelope Island

Last Wednesday, June 11, was an interesting day to be on Antelope Island. We need good light for bird photography and clouds usually don’t cut it for us (much different from landscape photography, I know) so we’re seldom out there when it’s overcast. But the forecast called for clearing so we took a chance and left home right after 5:30 so we could be there at sunrise. It turned out to be mostly cloudy all morning so we didn’t have much luck with birds but the clouds and light gave us some dramatic vistas that I couldn’t help but photograph. 1/200, f/9, ISO 400, 17-85mm @17mm, hand-held Just after sunrise we had this view of the island from the causeway. I liked the unusual combination of fearfully dark clouds with no wind which made the water almost as smooth as glass for some interesting reflections. The cluster of American Avocets on the right added to the natural scene for me. 1/640, f/9, ISO 400, 17-85mm @17mm, hand-held Traveling south on the island I liked the play of light on the clouds, prairie grasses and sagebrush to go along with the curved horizon line. I’m certainly no landscape photographer and have no plans to give up my “day job” photographing birds but I couldn’t resist sharing a couple of images from that wonderful morning. Ron

Antelope Island – A Smorgasbord For Coyotes

A lot of folks don’t like coyotes but I’m in a different camp. I have great admiration for their adaptability, hunting skills, intelligence and communication abilities. Over the past few years I’ve had many opportunities to observe their behaviors on Antelope Island which has made me an even bigger fan of this amazing canid. To watch a coyote hunt is a fascinating experience. This post is meant as a documentation of the opportunistic feeding tendencies of the species rather than as a showcase for technically perfect photos. Getting clear shots of any mammal on the ground (as opposed to perched or flying birds) is a rarity because of all of the grasses, sunflowers, sagebrush, rabbitbrush and moth mullein the photographer has to shoot through on the island. So there’s lots of “stuff” in front of the coyote in some of these shots and a couple of them are sizeable crops but I think their prey tendencies are documented reasonably well by the images. 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Coyotes eat a lot of voles – prodigious numbers of them in fact. I’ve seen a single animal catch and consume 4-5 voles in the same area within just a few minutes and I’ve seen it several times. 1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc But they’ll also take birds when they can catch them. This coyote was returning from the lake shoreline with an unusual prize – some kind of waterfowl. From the position of the leg attachment at the back of the body I’d guess…

A Plea For Respect For The Burrowing Owl

If there’s a group of birds on the face of the earth that is almost universally loved it seems to me that it would have to be owls. Many folks are captivated by them for their large forward-facing eyes, quizzical expressions, eerie vocalizations and the sense of mystery provided by their generally nocturnal habits. Others appreciate their many unique adaptations, such as silent flight and their ability to turn their heads 270 degrees. There’s just something about owls… 1/640, f/9, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc And for many of us Burrowing Owls are at the pinnacle of that adoration. Their comical antics, especially those of the juveniles, tug at our heartstrings and make us smile. And they’re more accessible to viewing than are most owls because they’re active during daylight and spend much of their time on the ground close to their burrows instead of being hidden high up in trees. The flip-side to all this is that Burrowing Owls are extremely vulnerable to unthinking human intrusion – especially while they’re nesting and caring for chicks or juveniles. 1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc In Utah the burrows of these owls are typically found among sagebrush, which they often use as perches during early morning. This allows the patient and ethical birder or photographer a good look at the birds without having to get too close in order to see through the vegetation usually found in the burrow area. It’s not unusual for Burrowing Owls to nest close to roads and when they do…

A Birthday Bounty Of Bear River Birds

Wednesday of this past week was my “medicare birthday”. I’m sure older readers will understand why my psyche needed some bolstering and I felt justified in burning up some extra gas and putting even more miles on my pickup for a trip to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to help take my mind off of my advancing age. It was worth the trip! While I didn’t get any truly spectacular shots it was a wonderful morning with excellent weather and light, lots of cooperative birds and great company – thanks to Mia. The only downside was that I had 35 gigs of images to cull when I got home… A couple of notes about my techs: a), regular readers are probably aware that I nearly always shoot with the 1.4 tc attached to my 500 mm. On this morning I got so close to many of the birds that almost half of the images I’ve posted here were taken without the tc and b), many of these images were taken with a very high shutter speed which is typical for me since I’m usually set up for action shots after firing off a few times on more traditional poses. All photos are presented in the order they were taken. 1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc On the road to the refuge we came across a pair of Short-eared Owls cavorting in the air right after the sun came up. One of the owls was “sky dancing” but by the time I got the pickup…

A Mixed Bag Of Recent Birds

These images were all taken over the last eight days, either at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge or Antelope Island. Another one of my “potpourri” posts with no common theme except “feathers”. 1/640, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4 The Willets have finally come up on the island for their mating activities (as opposed to the shoreline for recuperation after migration) and I like to try to catch them perched high on the sagebrush where they call loudly to other Willets. 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Western Meadowlarks are in their glory right now and their distinctive songs reverberate all over the island. 1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I got closer to this one than I usually can. 1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 This Loggerhead Shrike was grooming peacefully when I noticed a distinct change in its behavior. 1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 A Common Raven flew low overhead and this was the shrike’s reaction. It flattened its body out almost into a bullet shape and pointed that bullet at the raven as it passed. I’m guessing it was an instinctive behavior to present the smallest profile possible to a larger bird that might be a potential threat. It was comical to watch it turn as the raven flew by to keep its body pointed in the larger birds direction. 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I’m always happy to catch a Chukar perched on a boulder, especially when it isn’t one of the…

The Timelessness of a Buffalo Chip Perch

The American Bison is a relative newcomer to North America, having migrated from Eurasia over the Bering Straight about 10,000 years ago. As is common knowledge they once roamed in massive herds across most of the continent until commercial hunting and slaughter reduced their numbers to a few hundred by the end of the 19th century. 1/500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Today a herd of approximately 500 animals roams free on Antelope Island and that many large animals produce a lot of poop – commonly referred to as “buffalo chips”. Those chips are all over the island – like small dark islands in a sea of prairie grasses and tiny flowers and they’re tempting perches for a variety of bird species like Horned Larks and Meadowlarks. But this past week I was able to catch some larger birds using them as perches. 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc In the spring some of the shorebirds and wading birds come up from the shore of the Great Salt Lake to higher ground on the island for their breeding activities – Long-billed Curlews among them. It seems that the added height of only a couple of inches provided by the chip is enough to significantly improve their view of the landscape for potential predators and also to help them keep an eye on other curlews in the area – there’s a lot of fighting and mating activities going on this time of year. To some viewers such a perch may have no aesthetic draw but I’m…

Behaving Badly On Antelope Island

Mia and I spend an inordinate amount of time on Antelope Island photographing birds so naturally we run across a lot of other folks out there enjoying that wonderful place too – hikers, photographers, campers, swimmers, educational groups and everyday sightseers to name a few. Most of the people who visit the island seem to be considerate of others and mindful of the regulations in place that are meant to make a visit to the island an enjoyable experience for all and protect the natural assets of this jewel in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. There are glaring exceptions though and occasionally (all too often) we see folks doing things that leave us shaking our heads in bewilderment. I decided to post about this issue in the hope that it might be a reminder to some of the “fringe element” who may be considering a visit to the island that if you flaunt the rules you may pay a price. Where recognizable, faces have been blurred in these photos. If the image file numbers (seen by passing your cursor over the photo) don’t seem to make logical, sequential sense it’s because I used multiple cameras and lenses for the images. Last Friday morning as we left Bridger Bay Campground we noticed that this guy in a Jeep had decided to go for a cross-country joy ride across the prairie grasses to get a closer look at a couple of bison, despite the fact that they’re nearly always easy to find right next to the road. In the foreground you can see the…

A Recent Potpourri Of Birds From Antelope Island

Antelope Island always has an interesting mix of birds for the photographer and birder. During the winter months raptors are one of the primary attractions for me but soon after the cold months are over they begin to thin out and the migrating spring birds begin to appear. The last several weeks have been in transition with fewer raptors but many migrating species are beginning to show up – in addition to the many year-round residents on the island. With this post I thought I’d present a few shots from the past week or so as a small representation of some of the common birds right now. 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Black-billed Magpies are year-round residents of the island and they’re in a nesting frenzy right now which allows for some interesting opportunities for the photographer. This bird is landing on a bush very near its nest. 1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 Springtime is my favorite season to photograph Chukars because they’re all dolled out in fresh plumage and they’re very approachable when they’re calling from rocks. For much of the rest of the year they spend their time scurrying around in the vegetation and it’s quite difficult to get a clean shot. This one was calling with a lot of enthusiasm! 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Some of the Loggerhead Shrikes also remain on the island year-round but their numbers increase noticeably in spring. 1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc It’s always a treat when the Long-billed Curlews return to…

Short-eared Owl Hunting From A Post

We were driving out of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge on our way home when we spotted this Short-eared Owl perched on a large double post at the top of a long, grinding hill. I was pulling the camping trailer so we made a lot of racket and raised a huge cloud of dust on the gravel road so I figured there was no chance this bird would let that big noisy rig close enough for decent shots. But it did – though just barely. 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Here it was trying to decide if we were enough of a potential threat to fly off but soon it relaxed and seemed to accept our presence. 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Almost immediately the owl began to scour the slope to the right for potential prey. 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc When it spotted something it took off… 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc gained speed as it descended down the relatively steep slope… 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc and this is the last decent shot I got as it got close to the grasses and I lost focus on the bird. 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc But the owl obviously liked that post as a hunting platform and almost immediately returned to it (though these last shots are from an earlier sequence). It very quickly spotted what was probably…

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,…

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…

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…

Rough-legged Hawk At Take-Off

It’s been a good winter in northern Utah for Rough-legged Hawks. I’ve seen many more this year than I have in years past and they were particularly abundant on Antelope Island and on the causeway. On several occasions out there we counted 20 birds or more. Their numbers have now thinned out considerably but there’s still a few of them around. 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I found this one a few weeks ago perched in the grasses in front of a darker colored field of dried sunflowers. The hawk was too obscured by the grasses for quality photos so as usual I set up for take-off. 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc As the hawk gained elevation the darker sunflowers dominated the background but you can still see the out of focus grasses at the bottom of the frame. I really like the backgrounds/settings the island often provides, though all that texture and contrast behind the subject can sure make it a challenge to get focus lock on the bird – particularly in flight. I’ll miss these handsome buteos this summer but hope they have a successful breeding season on the arctic tundra and return in good numbers again next winter. Ron

Golden Eagle – Some Progress On A Nemesis

Anyone who follows this blog knows that I have a penchant for raptors and over the last 6 years of photographing them I can count on one hand the number of good opportunities I’ve had with Golden Eagles. I had another chance at one yesterday on Antelope Island. I almost didn’t spot this bird because it was hunkered down so far in the sagebrush (here it is standing more erect in anticipation of flight). 1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I knew that my only chance for a few decent images would be at take-off or just after but the angle of light was a problem – the bird was facing almost directly into the sun. If it veered to its right I’d get butt shots and probably lose the head behind the wings. If it turned to its left the face would be in shadow and I’d get no catch light. What can you do but wait, be ready for lift-off and hope for the best from a less than ideal situation? 1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Thankfully the eagle launched straight ahead which gave me the best light I could hope for under the circumstances. 1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc For the first wing-beat I got light on the head and a catch light in two images – then the bird turned slightly toward me and that light was lost. I got several more sharp shots with dynamic flight poses but the face was completely shaded. Curses !!! I…

Short-eared Owl Delivering Food To The Nest

In previous posts (here, here and here) about these Short-eared Owls at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge I’ve shown and described snippets of the fascinating behaviors I observed when this male would deliver voles to the female and two youngsters at the nest. But it struck me that I’ve never put the whole process together in sequence so the behaviors could be fully appreciated so that’s what I’ll attempt to do here. Most of the images will be different from those in the previous posts. 1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 800, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc The male was a tireless and highly skilled hunter and I never saw him with any prey other than voles. When successful he would always return to the vicinity of the nest and land momentarily on one of two favorite perches – the dark sagebrush at lower right in the above photo or a metal post a few feet from the sagebrush. Here he’s coming in for a landing on the sagebrush with vole in talons and glances up at me to make sure all is safe. I really like the intense direct eye contact in the shot. 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 800, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Now he’s focused on the sagebrush in order to make a successful landing. 1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 800, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This time he stayed perched for less than five seconds and didn’t even pull his wings in against his body – he just kept them out or up while he seemed to contemplate his next…

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