![\"rough-legged](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/rough-legged-hawk-4514-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWe had a “wind event” along parts of the Wasatch Front for several days this week.\u00a0 When meteorological conditions are just\u00a0right (wrong?) incredible and sustained winds of\u00a070 – 80\u00a0mph\u00a0and more\u00a0barrel down some of our canyons and\u00a0often cause a lot of damage when they reach the populated valley floor.\u00a0 Those winds dissipate somewhat by the time they reach Antelope Island but even reduced winds make birds hunker down and\u00a0very difficult to find and photograph.\u00a0 It often stays windy for several days.<\/p>\n
Occasionally one can get lucky with raptors kiting in the wind once they’re reduced to reasonable speeds so yesterday morning I decided to head for the island and see what turned up.\u00a0 For a variety of reasons, including wind, the morning was largely a photo-failure for me, what I call a “skunked” morning.<\/p>\n
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\u00a01\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon<\/em> EF500mm f\/4L IS USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n But during the 7 mile drive along the causeway between the island and the mainland I thought of this bird.\u00a0 I took this photo of a Rough-legged Hawk along the causeway\u00a013 months earlier and in the same conditions as yesterday – the tail end of another extreme wind event.\u00a0 This bird was kiting in the updrafts as those winds were forced upwards when they hit the elevated causeway.\u00a0 If you’re lucky enough to find kiting raptors they can be relatively easy to photograph because the wind slows down their speed significantly.\u00a0 This hawk had been “playing” in the wind\u00a0with another bird, a dark morph.\u00a0 The dark morph was less cooperative but I got several shots I like of this light morph.<\/p>\n Birds are slow on the island right now and it can be tempting to just stay home or go somewhere else.\u00a0 But Antelope Island can be a magical place with unexpected delights even when things are slow.\u00a0 Just this week (as many regular readers are aware) I spent on hour or more photographing two (yes two <\/em>!) Golden Eagles and also had a fascinating and extended session with coyotes and magpies scavenging a Mule Deer carcass.\u00a0 Both were unexpected and fascinating events.<\/p>\n As I often say to myself after one of these serendipitous occasions – “you never know unless you go”.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n PS –\u00a0Happy New Year everyone!\u00a0 If you had to endure them I hope you (and your dog) survived the neighborhood fireworks last night.\u00a0 I\u00a0did but just barely…<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This bird was kiting in the updrafts as the winds rose when they hit the elevated causeway to Antelope Island.<\/p>\n