{"id":40160,"date":"2016-06-18T06:59:27","date_gmt":"2016-06-18T12:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=40160"},"modified":"2016-06-18T08:53:09","modified_gmt":"2016-06-18T14:53:09","slug":"a-raptor-ducks-in-flight-and-a-lifer-from-montanas-centennial-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/06\/18\/a-raptor-ducks-in-flight-and-a-lifer-from-montanas-centennial-valley\/","title":{"rendered":"A Raptor, Ducks In Flight And A Lifer From Montana’s Centennial Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

Usually my\u00a0blog focuses on a single species but today’s post is a bit of a potpourri. Each of these images was taken in the Centennial Valley of Montana\u00a0during my\u00a0camping trip earlier this month.<\/p>\n

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\"ferruginous1\/2500, f\/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/strong><\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Regular readers know that I generally dislike power poles in my images but I found this unusual perspective on one to be just different enough to pique my interest and the combination of pole and hawk actually helps to illustrate a small mystery.<\/p>\n

For years now in the early summer there’s been a pair of obviously mated Ferruginous Hawks hanging around the same power poles in a remote area of the Centennial Valley of Montana. Each year I see the same behavior – both birds fly from the poles to retrieve nesting material in the vicinity and then return to the poles with it. Typically they hold the twigs and small branches in their beaks for a\u00a0short time\u00a0and then deliberately drop\u00a0them to the ground. That behavior is repeated. Often.<\/p>\n

They make no attempt to actually construct\u00a0a nest that I know of. In this area the species typically nests at the tops of\u00a0medium-sized bushes or small trees (I’ve never seen them nest on a power pole)\u00a0but the closest trees\u00a0or bushes are several miles away and I’ve never seen one of these birds carry nesting material in that direction. I just don’t understand it.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0image, taken twelve days ago in the Centennial Valley in low light conditions, shows some of the behavior I’ve described above. This Ferruginous Hawk is flying back to one of the poles after retrieving nesting material. True to form it landed on\u00a0the pole and then dropped the twig (this time I didn’t actually see it fall but that’s what has\u00a0always happened before. And since).<\/p>\n

I wish I knew what was going on…<\/p>\n

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\"pintail<\/p>\n

1\/4000, f\/7.1, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em><\/strong> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I enjoy photographing ducks in flight and I should attempt it more often. These Northern Pintails were flying over a bridge near the spot where the Red Rock River flows into Lima Reservoir and I instinctively took a few “poke and hope” shots as they did so. I like the good separation of the birds, the mix of clouds and blue sky in the background,\u00a0the wing positions of three of them, all four ducks are sharp and I enjoy the fact that the female is in the lead…<\/p>\n

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\"lark1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em><\/strong> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m no birder – only a humble bird photographer. I don’t keep lists nor do I participate in most of the other trappings of classical birding. But I’ll admit that whenever I see and\/or photograph a species that is new to me or is out of its normal range I get a real rush – even if\u00a0I’m unable to photograph it or my images of them\u00a0are mediocre. Documentary images are “good enough” in such situations.<\/p>\n

This is a male Lark Bunting photographed on 6\/4\/16 in the Centennial\u00a0Valley. He wasn’t yet in full breeding plumage so he looks a little scruffy but\u00a0dang I was still absolutely\u00a0delighted to see him. This species is out of range in Utah\u00a0so\u00a0I’ve never seen one there (or anywhere else). They’re\u00a0also out of their normal breeding range in this part of Montana, though just\u00a0barely (according to Birds of North America Online).<\/p>\n

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\"lark1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em><\/strong> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

When he briefly turned his back on me I got a strong\u00a0hint of his spectacular markings to come. When he reaches full breeding plumage he’ll be uniformly deep black with highly contrasting white markings.<\/p>\n

One day I’d love to see one of these males in that plumage.<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

Addendum: I’d forgotten! I DID photograph a female Lark Bunting in Montana about 5 years ago so this male isn’t really a lifer for me.\u00a0That mistake is just\u00a0another example of brain flatulence for me, which seems to happen a little\u00a0more often as I get older. I apologize for the error.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Usually my blog focuses on a single species but today’s post is a bit of a potpourri.<\/p>\n

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