Northern Harrier Male in Flight
Just a single image of a male Northern Harrier in flight but this shot means a lot to me. Canon 7D, 1/6400, f/5.6, ISO 640, EV – 0.o, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I have many nice harrier images taken during winter around the marshes of the Great Salt Lake but for me this species has been a nemesis bird during spring and summer. Most of our harriers migrate north in early spring and those that stick around become very difficult to approach. For three summers now I’ve been trying mightily to get a decent flight shot of a harrier to no avail. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done some crazy driving (I’m usually shooting from my truck) trying to intersect the flight path of one of these birds only to have it veer off before it got close. As Mia often says – these birds like to “yank my chains”. Then, about three weeks ago, this male apparently forgot to “yank” and flew relatively close to me. I rattled off a burst and got this one image that I like. My techs for the image weren’t ideal but it still worked out and I’m delighted. I guess it doesn’t take much to satisfy this bird photographer sometimes… This post will be a bit of an experiment. I’ll be out of town for a couple of days so I’m preparing the post now and will test the delayed posting feature of WordPress. Hope it works. Ron
Antelope Island Barn Owl Family
There’ll be just a single image in today’s post – the majority of a large family of Barn Owls that are resident on Antelope Island this summer. Canon 7D, 1/80, f/7.1, ISO 640, EV -1.00, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I have a special fondness for this species but like most avian photographers I’ve been frustrated by them because their almost strictly nocturnal habits make them extremely difficult to photograph (unless you use flash or some other form of artificial light, which I won’t do). Occasionally I’ve been able to find one out and about during daytime in winter but that’s a relatively rare occurrence. This is four of a family group of five or six that hang out on the north end of the island. They are such striking and beautiful birds (in my opinion) that I find it a bit incongruous that they insist on roosting in the mornings on this decidedly unattractive perch. But hey, if they like it – so do I. Well, sort of… Since this post consists of only one image I decided to make it 1200 pixels wide instead of my usual 900. Personally I always enjoy larger versions of images for their better detail. Ron
Short-eared Owls Defending Their Nest Against Predators
Recent reports from others indicate that bird activity on Antelope Island is slowing down now and our experience out there recently would agree with that assessment so yesterday when Mia and I were trying to decide where to go shooting birds we were a little hesitant about another trip to the island. But even with things slowing down we almost never fail to find something interesting to photograph and yesterday was certainly no exception! Canon 7D, 1/800, f/7.1, ISO 500, EV 0, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Soon after arriving on the island we noticed a pair of Short-eared Owls, obviously mated based on their behavior. Canon 7D, 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 500, EV 0, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This owl was carrying a vole and we immediately suspected that the pair had a nest in the vicinity, which turned out to be true. It was quite a distance from the road and buried in vegetation but we could tell its location by watching this owl deliver food to the nest site – either to the mate or to both the mate and chicks. We watched and photographed the birds for a while but when things slowed down we went further down the island. Canon 7D, 1/1600, f/8, ISO 640, EV + .67, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc On our return to the area of the nest we immediately saw a quickly developing drama. A young coyote had apparently just crossed the road and was approaching the nest area and the owls were in…
Long-billed Curlews and “Bugs” of Antelope Island
Two days ago we were just about to go home after several photographically unproductive hours on Antelope Island because of a lack of cooperative subjects combined with a “cloud from hell” that hung over the island and ruined our light all morning when I spotted two Long-billed Curlews far below us. The area was accessible to our vehicle so we decided to investigate. Both Mia and I are very glad we did! Canon 7D, 1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc One of the two birds was this adult, perched attentively on this almost white Tintic Quartzite boulder. The curlew was very tolerant of us and let us get close and even allowed me to maneuver my pickup for a variety of backgrounds. Canon 7D, 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This adult was very relaxed in our presence and eventually settled into grooming and preening as it’s doing here. Canon 7D, 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc It turns out that the second bird I had spotted from up above was this juvenile in the tall grasses and the adult had obviously chosen a relatively high perch in order to keep an eye on the youngster (a behavior we’ve seen multiple times in adults with chicks or young juveniles). Canon 7D, 1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc We spent quite some time with these two birds – the parent on the boulder and the juvenile foraging in the grasses. Occasionally the adult would fly off for a few…
Chukar with Black Mustard
I know, my title sounds like a recipe title or an entree from a fancy restaurant. Couldn’t resist… I’ve been photographing Chukars on Antelope Island for several years now and I’m often pleasantly surprised by the lovely backgrounds the island provides. Since these birds like to perch on the boulders that are common on the island they are often separated from their backgrounds by enough distance to provide a pleasing out of focus backdrop of earth tones from the dried grasses. Canon 7D, 1/1250, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4 But until recently the background has never included attractive flowers that I recall. What a treat it was to find this bird immediately after we got on the island just as the sun was peeking over the mountains to the east which made for some some nice warm light and for the bird to choose a perch with such a pleasant background. In this case the flowers are Black Mustard (named for the seed color – not the color of the flower, obviously – thanks for the flower ID Mia!). I liked the calling pose in this full frame shot. Canon 7D, 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4 And to make things even better this bird cooperated for quite a while – providing a variety of head turns and poses to take advantage of the light and the setting. Chukars like to perch on, and call from, boulders. That can be a problem because most of the rocks on the north end of the island where these…
White Pelican Stretching Pouch in Flight.
American White Pelicans are known to do some pretty strange things with their pouch – one of them is pouch stretching (I’ve been unable to find an official term for the behavior). A four year old image – I no longer have the original file so can’t access exif data They pull their head back and force their very flexible pouch down over their neck and upper chest in a process that looks, well.. bizarre. I don’t think this behavior is particularly unusual as I’ve seen and photographed it several times. According to Birds of North America Online the function of this display is “uncertain”. Canon 7D, 1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 500 However, these birds are also fully capable of pulling the bottom of their pouch up above the level of the lower mandibles without having to pull the pouch down over their neck. I don’t fully understand how they’re able to do this since the pouch itself is non-muscular. Internet research on the subject has been unproductive. I assume there must be some form of bony or cartilaginous rod that extends from the throat area down the middle of the bottom of the pouch about half way to the tip of the bill. With muscular control of the base of that extension in the throat area they would be able to raise the bottom of the pouch above “horizontal”. I’ve seen them do it twice – the first time without a camera while the bird was perched. But the second time, a couple of weeks ago, it was done in flight which…
Agonistic (fighting) Behavior in Male Short-eared Owls
I recently returned from one of my favorite places in the world – Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Last year I was able to photograph nesting Short-eared Owls carrying voles to their young but this year, because of the very cold spring, nesting hadn’t even begun. Instead the owls were competing for territory and mates and pairing up. On one morning I was incredibly lucky to find two males trying to impress a female with their aerial prowess and fighting skills. They were so engrossed in their activities that they pretty much ignored me. Canon 7D, 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Often one male would be on the ground when the other male would swoop in on him. Here the foreground bird has just lifted off to meet his adversary. Canon 7D, 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc As was often the case the birds didn’t make actual contact. In researching this behavior I’ve learned that they will sometimes lock talons and fall to the ground before releasing. I suspect that as they rush toward each other they look for a weakness in defense – if they spot one in the other birds defensive body position they would likely make aggressive contact. Canon 7D, 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Most of the time both birds stayed on the ground or flew very low but occasionally one of the owls would fly several hundred feet up and circle over the other male (and the female, who was…
Antelope Island Potpourri
My last few visits to Antelope Island have yielded a mixed bag of bird and mammal photos that I enjoy so I thought I’d share a little of what it’s like to experience the wildlife out there during late spring. Canon 7D, 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This take-off pose is one I’ve been after for some time so I was glad to get it from this Loggerhead Shrike, despite the foreground twig in front of the right wing-tip. Canon 7D, 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I believe this to be the same bird as in the previous photo. It had captured what I think was one of the Ichneumon wasps and toyed with it a while before dropping it. I was happy to get the wasp unobscured by the branches or the birds toes as it fell. The shrike watched where it fell and retrieved it. Canon 7D, 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc There are presumably many pronghorn fawns on the island this time of year but I’ve found it difficult to get close to them or even to spot them at a distance – probably partially due to their instinctive behavior of lying low in the tall grasses much of the time. This one was in a playful mood and spent several minutes romping through the grass around its mother. Canon 7D, 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This is the same fawn a few minutes later, just after nursing. …
A Willet Expelling a Pellet
Yesterday I got a shot of a Willet expelling a pellet. It’s a behavior I’ve seldom seen and rarely photographed because it typically happens very quickly, many birds don’t do it at all and it often occurs only once per day or so with many species. A pellet, sometimes referred to as a bolus, is a clump of indigestible material that is formed in the crop and eventually regurgitated. Depending on the diet of the bird it may be made of feather, bone, fur and/or chitin from insect or crustacean exoskeletons. Canon 7D, 1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc At first I wasn’t taking many photos of this Willet because its lower legs were cut off by the rock perch but I did adjust my settings for quick action in case it took off or performed some other interesting behavior. Canon 7D, 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc The first indication I got that something might happen that would be interesting to photograph was when the bird pulled down its neck and there was a slight bulge in the throat. Canon 7D, 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Then the Willet began trying to expel the pellet. Canon 7D, 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc What happens next appears to look almost like a gagging reflex. Canon 7D, 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc The pellet popped out so quickly that I didn’t even see it through the viewfinder…
The Coyotes and the Plucky Pronghorn
Yesterday Mia and I were witness to quite the little drama on a trip to Antelope Island to photograph birds. It all started when we noticed the frantic calling of a Long-billed Curlew which flew over us several times in obvious distress. Canon 7D, 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc At first we didn’t know what was causing all the ruckus but soon Mia spotted this coyote. A couple of minutes later we noticed a second coyote nearby. We suspect that the curlew had a nest in the vicinity and it was disturbed by the foraging coyotes. Soon both coyotes disappeared into a ravine but we hung around hoping for more flight shots of the curlew. Canon 7D, 1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Then, almost a quarter-mile away, we spotted the coyotes again but this time a doe Pronghorn (at least I think it’s a female and not a young male) had entered the scene. There was obviously going to be a confrontation and at first I assumed that the coyotes would be the aggressors but I was quickly proven wrong. Canon 7D, 1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This doe had pluck! After a few seconds of staring each other down the pronghorn charged the coyote on the right. Canon 7D, 1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc That coyote beat a hasty retreat but the teamwork the coyotes showed was impressive. They always stayed a short distance apart and whenever the doe would…