Lark Sparrow At Takeoff…
and one reason bird photographers need to be both quick and lucky. I’m only including this first image to help me make my point.
Tag: utah
Red-tailed Hawk – A Teaser For Tomorrow’s Post
First an explanation as to why I’m holding back and only posting a teaser this morning.
Burrowing Owl Feeding Frenzy
I can’t imagine how frenzied these poor parents are as they try to keep this many chicks fed, fat and happy.
Northern Harrier At An Unconventional Angle At Takeoff – plus…
Short-eared Owl Refusing To Be Distracted From His Hunting
I often have great difficulty approaching Short-eared Owls but this probable male seemed glued to his perch.
Feet-forward Takeoff From A Loggerhead Shrike
With birds it’s quite often the little things that grab my attention and they don’t come much smaller than this. It was subtle and quick, very quick, but it’s one of the strategies that can make the difference between a meal and going hungry. 1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in Yesterday morning on Antelope Island I caught this Loggerhead Shrike swallowing a spider (the island is absolutely loaded with spiders – the state park actually holds an annual Spider Festival). The shrike hunted from this perch for about 5 minutes – launching after potential prey and then returning to the same hunting platform. When this shot was taken the sun was behind a cloud so I decided to crank up my ISO to get a little more shutter speed for takeoff shots. Even at ISO 1250 I needed more SS than this to get the wings of the incredibly fast bird sharp at takeoff but I was already at a higher ISO than I almost ever go. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in Thankfully the sun came out four minutes later and doubled my shutter speed. An instant after this photo was taken the shrike spotted prey (probably an insect or another spider) directly in front of it. In a typical takeoff the shrike would avoid any obstacles by altering its direction of…
Update On The Red-tailed Hawk Chicks Whose Nest Was Blown Down
Several readers requested that I report back about the status of these chicks when I learned anything new.
A Hugely Coincidental Encounter With A Juvenile Short-eared Owl
One Of The Scroungiest Looking Red-tailed Hawks I’ve Photographed
Most birds I post on my blog are attractive and well coiffed. I’m posting this one for exactly the opposite reason.
Some Recent Birds (+ a rocket test… yes, really)
Occasionally I like to do a “potpourri post” featuring some of the recent birds I’ve photographed that have fallen through the cracks of my blog.
This Is What Can Happen When A Red-tailed Hawk Nest Is Blown Down
The shortsightedness and thoughtlessness of mankind aren’t the only threats to nesting birds. Natural events can play a role too.
Green-tailed Towhee – Another One Came In Close!
Common Nighthawks – Why Do They Keep Their Eyes Closed When They’re perched?
Yellow Warbler
Green-tailed Towhee – My “Spark” Bird
I haven’t been this excited about photographing a bird in a very long time (more about why that’s true at the end of this post if you have the stamina to get through it…).
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Red-tailed Hawk – A Teaser For Tomorrow’s Post
First an explanation as to why I’m holding back and only posting a teaser this morning.
Burrowing Owl Feeding Frenzy
I can’t imagine how frenzied these poor parents are as they try to keep this many chicks fed, fat and happy.
Northern Harrier At An Unconventional Angle At Takeoff – plus…
Short-eared Owl Refusing To Be Distracted From His Hunting
I often have great difficulty approaching Short-eared Owls but this probable male seemed glued to his perch.
Feet-forward Takeoff From A Loggerhead Shrike
With birds it’s quite often the little things that grab my attention and they don’t come much smaller than this. It was subtle and quick, very quick, but it’s one of the strategies that can make the difference between a meal and going hungry. 1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in Yesterday morning on Antelope Island I caught this Loggerhead Shrike swallowing a spider (the island is absolutely loaded with spiders – the state park actually holds an annual Spider Festival). The shrike hunted from this perch for about 5 minutes – launching after potential prey and then returning to the same hunting platform. When this shot was taken the sun was behind a cloud so I decided to crank up my ISO to get a little more shutter speed for takeoff shots. Even at ISO 1250 I needed more SS than this to get the wings of the incredibly fast bird sharp at takeoff but I was already at a higher ISO than I almost ever go. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in Thankfully the sun came out four minutes later and doubled my shutter speed. An instant after this photo was taken the shrike spotted prey (probably an insect or another spider) directly in front of it. In a typical takeoff the shrike would avoid any obstacles by altering its direction of…
Update On The Red-tailed Hawk Chicks Whose Nest Was Blown Down
Several readers requested that I report back about the status of these chicks when I learned anything new.
A Hugely Coincidental Encounter With A Juvenile Short-eared Owl
One Of The Scroungiest Looking Red-tailed Hawks I’ve Photographed
Most birds I post on my blog are attractive and well coiffed. I’m posting this one for exactly the opposite reason.
Some Recent Birds (+ a rocket test… yes, really)
Occasionally I like to do a “potpourri post” featuring some of the recent birds I’ve photographed that have fallen through the cracks of my blog.
This Is What Can Happen When A Red-tailed Hawk Nest Is Blown Down
The shortsightedness and thoughtlessness of mankind aren’t the only threats to nesting birds. Natural events can play a role too.
Green-tailed Towhee – Another One Came In Close!
Common Nighthawks – Why Do They Keep Their Eyes Closed When They’re perched?
Yellow Warbler
Green-tailed Towhee – My “Spark” Bird
I haven’t been this excited about photographing a bird in a very long time (more about why that’s true at the end of this post if you have the stamina to get through it…).