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<\/p>\nIn my book, landing shots are at a premium because I like the postures they typically provide and because they’re so very hard to get (the old ‘degree of difficulty’ factor). It’s unusual for me to get a detailed, sharp and frame-filling photo of any bird during the landing process but when it’s a small, fast, flitty and unpredictable songbird it becomes a rare occurrence instead of just an unusual one.<\/p>\n
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1\/6400, f\/6.3, ISO 1000, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n So yesterday morning on Antelope Island I was very pleasantly surprised to get this pre-landing shot of a male Northern Mockingbird. The bird is sharp throughout, he’s large in the frame with oodles of detail and I have a perfect side-view of him in excellent light. But whenever I capture a hard-to-get shot like this there always seems to be at least one fly in the ointment.<\/p>\n Why oh why couldn’t he be landing on an attractive natural perch like a greasewood or sagebrush instead of a…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n pile of bird poop on the roof of a pavillion?<\/p>\n This rooftop is one of the most popular bird perches on the island and it has been for years, as evidenced by the thick layer of excrement at its peak. To simply call it ‘whitewash’ instead of a poop pile would be whitewashing what it really is. I didn’t find many cooperative birds yesterday so I sure wish this one had chosen a more attractive perch.<\/p>\n But soon after I got home, a gang of cuteness on my front lawn helped to make up for it. While I was moving a sprinkler hose (I have a sprinkler system but the valve regulating the zone on my front side yard needs to be replaced) I found a…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n mama Mallard and her newly hatched ducklings resting in the shade of one of my Catalpa trees. At first I thought there were only six ducklings but…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n it soon became evident that there were seven.<\/p>\n Most years there’s at least one pair of Mallards hanging around my house and neighborhood during breeding season but this year there’s been more of them than usual. Yesterday afternoon there were actually five Mallards (four males and one female if I remember correctly) resting together on my front lawn strip. But usually I have no idea where they’re nesting (if they’re nesting) and this year was no exception, so it was a fun surprise to find this family group on my lawn.<\/p>\n I just hope that mama Mallard somehow managed to get her kiddos down to the nearby river or pond during the night last night. If not the neighborhood cats might be problematic.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In my book, landing shots are at a premium because I like the postures they typically involve and because they’re so very hard to get (the old ‘degree of difficulty’ factor). (4 photos)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/northern-mockingbird-3509-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"northern-mockingbird-3509-ron-dudley\\"")
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