![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/gyrfralcon-2584-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n1\/1250, f\/6.3, ISO 500 Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n My first true “rarity” was this juvenile gray morph Gyrfalcon along the causeway to Antelope Island on February 11, 2015. It passed me from behind on the passenger side of my vehicle while I was driving so I didn’t get a good look at it while it was close. Then it veered to the south and perched on the mudflats perhaps 1\/4 mile away. This was one of the “better” shots I was able to get of it as it headed south.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 640 Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n After a while it took off headed northwest, passed over the causeway far in front of me and appeared to be high-tailing it toward Fremont Island.<\/p>\n I reported my sighting to the\u00a0Utah Birds Record Committee and it was\u00a0reviewed and unanimously accepted by the committee. In their confirmation to me the committee stated that \u201cthis is only the seventh Gyrfalcon record for Utah and the first in 13 years”<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/3200, f\/7.1, ISO 500 Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Only two months later Mia and I found two Mountain Plovers on Antelope Island (eagle-eye Mia spotted them first). Though the sexes are similar I believe this to be the female of a mated pair migrating north, possibly to Montana. Both birds were cooperative, even tame which is typical of the species.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/4000, f\/7.1, ISO 500 Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n I believe this slightly more colorful bird to be the male of the pair.<\/p>\n Mountain Plovers are\u00a0uncommon throughout their range and extremely rare in Utah.\u00a0These\u00a0two birds were only the 10th confirmed sighting of the species in Utah.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 500 Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Then on August 31 of 2016 we spent some time with this Upland Sandpiper atop a power pole in Box Elder County\u00a0(once again it was Mia who spotted it). This is a fairly large, elegant species and it blew my socks off to get some quality photos of it\u00a0despite the ugly perch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO\u00a0500 Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Once in the middle of a rouse it held its wings up for several seconds which gave me some interesting shots even in this sidelight. The sandpiper spent some time calling from atop its high perch and I thought it sounded quite extraordinary. Here’s a link to the sound it was making <\/a>while I was with it if you’re interested.<\/p>\n I’ve said before that I’m no birder – I’m a bird photographer! I don’t keep lists and\u00a0I\u00a0rarely chase rarities when they’re reported but I have to\u00a0admit that I felt the tremendous\u00a0rush and excitement of a birder when\u00a0we found and photographed these three rare species.<\/p>\n I actually had “buck fever” each time and it was enjoyable to relive those experiences yesterday during my convalescence.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n Note: I’ve also photographed another extremely rare bird in Utah – an almost pure white Gyrfalcon but that was an escaped falconry bird so I haven’t included it here.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" And I actually managed to get photographs of all three of them.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n