![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/northern-mockingbird-2117-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"northern-mockingbird-2117-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nThis is the time of year I start watching for Northern Mockingbirds on Antelope Island. A week ago today I found five mockingbirds and photographed two of them.<\/p>\n
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1\/8000, f\/5.6, ISO 1600, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n One of them was on an unattractive, unnatural perch but I found this probable male (based on behavior) perched on sagebrush in the early morning sun.<\/p>\n At this angle he was sidelit and he seemed comfortable in my presence so I decided to risk moving my pickup further to the north in an effort to get a better light angle on him and, if possible, get Great Salt Lake in the background. I usually like the deep blues of the lake in my backgrounds and I also wanted more variety back there in my photos of him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/8000, f\/5.6, ISO 1600, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n It worked, kind of. He didn’t fly off when I moved my pickup, I got a better light angle on him and the lake was now in the background. But changing my shooting angle meant that I now had a head-on view of him. Generally I prefer more of a side view so we can see the tail better.<\/p>\n It was at this point that I finally realized that my ISO was too high and I had too much shutter speed so I made some camera adjustments.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2500, f\/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n After a while he moved to the top of a different sagebrush with a busier setting. This is the moment when he spotted a potential food item on the ground next to the road.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2500, f\/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n So he took off after it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/250, f\/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n He landed in deep shade next to the road and picked something up with his bill. I can’t tell for sure what it is. When I zoom in on it, one end of it looks like a small insect grub and the other end looks all fuzzy. I suppose it’s possible that it’s nesting material but I think that’s unlikely.<\/p>\n At this point another mockingbird (that I didn’t even know was in the area) flew down and buzzed this guy so both of them flew off. My time with mockingbirds was over.<\/p>\n I didn’t get any great mockingbird shots that morning but it was nice just to find them and spend time with them again. After so long without them, I consider that a win.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is the time of year I start watching for Northern Mockingbirds on Antelope Island. A week ago today I found five of them and photographed two of them.\u00a0 (5 photos)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/northern-mockingbird-2131-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"northern-mockingbird-2131-ron-dudley\\"")
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