![\"western](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/western-meadowlark-5259-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nToday’s post is a mixed bag of recent birds I’ve photographed and some observations (with photos) from the field.<\/p>\n
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1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n We had some wind two days ago on Antelope Island and this Western Meadowlark’s dignity paid the price. The breeze flared some of its feathers to give it a decidedly undignified look. To add to that theme, check out the weird angle of one of its toes on its right foot. When I’ve had a\u00a0muscle cramp in a toe it’s felt<\/em> like it was trying to assume this position and it really hurts. I’ve never noticed a bird do this with a toe before – it’s no biggie but it\u00a0did make me smile.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n I found this immature Bald Eagle four days ago in a remote area of Box Elder County, Utah. Many hundreds of Bald Eagles winter in northern Utah but very few of them are resident year-round and most headed north weeks ago. But this year stragglers may be staying later than usual as I’ve also\u00a0seen several other Bald Eagles in the area\u00a0recently. I’m not complaining because I\u00a0enjoy having them around…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This Northern Harrier, photographed yesterday, was one of the tamest of the species I’ve ever encountered. Harriers are notorious for their spookiness but this one seemed to enjoy, even encourage, having its picture taken. I repeatedly passed it as it was perched on a fencepost very close to the road and it didn’t even flinch when a large truck came by in the lane even closer to the bird than I was. Notice that this image was\u00a0taken without my teleconverter attached. I’ll definitely remember this bird.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I’ve watched a Common Raven nest next to a remote road in northern Utah for several years now. The nest has been active each year just as it has been this spring.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But five days ago – disaster. The nest was now on the ground at the base of the pole – there wasn’t even a single stick or twig left up top of the original nest. It may have been toppled by wind or by humans – who knows?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n But yesterday, only four days later, another nest had been built by the ravens in the same spot on the pole. I’m amazed by the persistence and resilience of those ravens.\u00a0I drove by this new nest several times yesterday and each time I inwardly applauded their pluckiness.<\/p>\n It’s very possible that the new nest was constructed in significantly\u00a0less<\/em> than four days. I wish I knew…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On this blog I’ve often mentioned the declining water levels of the Great Salt Lake and its negative effects on birds and wildlife. Yesterday morning I visited a remote area on the northeast end of the lake and the following photo may give readers some feel for what I’ve been talking about.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is the Spiral Jetty – an earthwork sculpture constructed by American sculptor Robert Smithson in 1970. It’s made of basalt rocks and mud and the counterclockwise spiral is\u00a015′ wide and 1500′ long as it juts into the lake from the shore. Depending on water level the jetty may be completely submerged in the lake or left high and dry on the beach.<\/p>\n This is what it looked like yesterday morning. The only water near the jetty is from recent rains and snow – the shore of the lake has receded to the far background. I can only guess how far it is to the lake but I’d estimate that it’s at least a mile. When you consider the size of this huge lake (only a small portion of it can be seen here) there’s a lot<\/em> of water that isn’t there that should be.<\/p>\n And the main reason for the declining lake level isn’t drought – it’s overuse of the rivers feeding the lake by agriculture and industry. Recent plans have been made to take even more water from the Bear River before it enters the lake.<\/p>\n The continuing\u00a0shortsightedness of humans simply astounds me.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n Addendum: I believe I’ve now solved the mystery of why the meadowlark’s toe is bent upward in the first photo. If interested, see my response to Laura Culley’s comment below. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today’s post is a mixed bag of recent birds I’ve photographed and some observations (with photos) from the field.<\/p>\n![\"bald](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/bald-eagle-4797-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"northern](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/northern-harrier-5667b-ron-dudley.jpg\")
1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"raven](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/raven-nest-0551-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"raven](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/raven-nest-0545-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"spiral](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/spiral-jetty-5859-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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