Raptor Images Demonstrating That “Little Things” Can Make Or Break A Shot
The little things that so often negatively impact the appeal of an image often drive me to distraction.
Tag: flight
WC Sparrow In Flight (a shot I’d have missed without the 7D Mark II)
Getting a sharp image of any passerine in flight is not an easy task, especially when they’re coming toward you. I’m convinced I’d have missed this shot if I’d still been shooting with my Canon 7D.
(I’ve also included a whimsical shot of the same species for “dessert”).
Peregrine Falcon In Flight After Dining On Duck
Peregrine Falcons aren’t noted for their table manners and this one needed just a little cleaning up after dinner.
Magpie Take-off From Nest Sequence
I was able to get five consecutive shots of this Black-billed Magpie as it took off from the top of its dome-shaped nest last spring on Antelope Island.
Golden Eagle In Flight (no wires this time)
Some of my readers are aware of my continuing quest for quality images of Golden Eagles in flight. I’m not there yet but I think I’m making progress.
Short-eared Owl In Flight (with prey in silhouette)
Photographing Short-eared Owls in flight with naturally obtained (not baited) prey in a wild setting is near the pinnacle of my bird photography aspirations. Thankfully I’ve had that opportunity several times and I’ll be forever grateful.
Barn Owl Hunting Rodents
I typically go about 10 months of the year without seeing Barn Owls flying in daylight but when snow and extremely cold temperatures arrive they’re often forced to hunt during daytime in order to obtain enough food to survive.
Rough-legged Hawk At Farmington Bay
I photographed my first Rough-legged Hawk of the season four days ago. The last time I’d photographed them prior to that had been on January 27, 2014 so it had been 285 days in-between opportunities with this species that spends much of the year in the high arctic. Hopefully that gives me an excuse to post images of roughies twice within just a few days.
Red-tailed Hawk At 40 MPH
Male Western Kingbird In Flight
Until this past spring my cupboard was largely bare of flight shots of Western Kingbirds. But this male gave me plenty of opportunity to practice my skills as he encouraged his mate at nest-building.
East Canyon Red-tailed Hawk
I spent yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains looking for raptors and other birds. I had my best luck with Red-tailed Hawks.
An Acrobatic Red-tailed Hawk
Raptors sometimes pull some pretty crazy maneuvers during take-off (the last 9 images in this post are sequential with no images in the sequence left out).
Curious Swainson’s Hawk Checking Me Out In Flight
Occasionally soaring raptors fly in quite close to observers and I’m convinced that sometimes it’s simply a matter of curiosity.
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk Presenting Its Best Side In Flight
I realize that choosing a “best side” of this beautiful hawk might be a matter of opinion but for me this is it.
Double-Crested Cormorant Flying Among The Clouds
I’m not much of a fan of plain blue sky backgrounds for flight shots and on this morning I was resigned to such an outcome in any flight shots I might get because the sky was virtually cloudless. But just as I snapped the shutter this bird passed by one of the few small clouds to be found anywhere and there was even a tinge of pink provided by the color of the rising sun.