![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/red-tailed-hawk-4582-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"red-tailed-hawk-4582-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nEight photos, eight species.<\/p>\n
Each of these photos was taken in the past two weeks. None of them will win any photo contests but I think each has something to offer and as a group they should give readers a feeling for the types of birds available to me this time of year here in northern Utah.<\/p>\n
All photos are presented in the order they were taken, from newest to oldest, over the last thirteen days. Sorry, I didn’t have time to include image techs.<\/p>\n
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I’m finally beginning to see Red-tailed Hawks pairing up for the nesting season – they seem just a little late this year and that surprises me. I’ve yet to see many of them actually building nests but on this morning I saw as many as five pairs that had obviously paired up for the breeding season.<\/p>\n
These two could have chosen a more attractive perch but it seemed to work just fine for them and both are handsome birds to compensate for it..<\/p>\n
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I’m not particularly fond of European Starlings but damn they’re stunning birds this time of year.<\/p>\n
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Western Meadowlarks seem to be everywhere on Antelope Island right now. The problem is, so are people. With so many folks off work because of the coronavirus situation and with the island so close to the densely populated Wasatch Front hordes of humans are visiting the island to take advantage of a close and convenient getaway where they can still practice social distancing.<\/p>\n
Blog follower “Stephen” made the following comment on yesterday’s post: “I went to Antelope Island yesterday morning and met a line of cars a half a mile or more long that didn\u2019t move for a half an hour\u2026 so I left.”<\/p>\n
For that reason I don’t think I’ll be visiting the island again anytime soon, even if it does remain open.<\/p>\n
Addendum: See Sterling Sanders’ comment below for a probable explanation for what Stephen experienced.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A sure sign of spring is the appearance of some of our larger rodents such as ground squirrels and this Yellow-bellied Marmot.<\/p>\n I haven’t been able to photograph any ground squirrels (“gophers”) yet but it shouldn’t be long. Judy Gusick shared a post on Facebook yesterday from her brother (I believe). The text to go along with his photos struck a chord in this Montana farm boy’s heart:<\/p>\n Perhaps you have to have Montana roots to understand. I remember times driving the Chalk Butte Road from our farm to Cut Bank in early spring when the road was literally slippery with road-killed gophers (Richardson’s Ground Squirrels). For this soft-hearted farmer’s son it was typically a squeamish trip that time of year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I had to include a photo of the Bald Eagles mating on ice, and the voyeuristic magpie, that I didn’t include in my post about them last week.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Chukar sunning itself on a lichen-encrusted rock on Antelope Island.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This was the first Cinnamon Teal I’ve been able to get close to this spring. When they first arrive they’re jumpy as hell. Normally I wouldn’t even consider posting this image because the duck’s head isn’t quite tack sharp and I don’t like all those bright specular highlights at the base of his bill but I want to use this photo to make a point.<\/p>\n Photos of male Cinnamon Teals taking off from water can be truly spectacular, in part because of their beautiful wing colors. But that type of photo is extremely difficult to capture because they’re so incredibly fast when they take off. But I’ve learned to read behavioral cues in this species that signal imminent takeoff and improve my chances of getting the shot.<\/p>\n The erect head and neck posture we see here and the fact that he stopped swimming are both indicators that he’s thinking very seriously of exploding off the water because he considered the close presence of my pickup as a possible threat. And notice the position of his right foot – perfect for pushing against the water to increase acceleration at takeoff.<\/p>\n But in this case it didn’t happen. Eventually he simply turned around and swam further away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I’ll close with a potentially spectacular situation that turned out to be a dud (with Dudley as my last name I’ve always resented that term a little…)<\/p>\n This Prairie Falcon allowed me a close approach (especially considering how spooky this species usually is) so I had high hopes for some flight shots soon after takeoff. But in the end it took off away from me as they’re so prone to do. Quality photos of Prairie Falcons in flight don’t come easy so yes, I was highly disappointed.<\/p>\n But it’s all part of the game when it comes to bird photography. As I’ve said many times, “Quality bird photography ain’t easy.”<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Eight photos, eight species.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/yellow-bellied-marmot-4206-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"yellow-bellied-marmot-4206-ron-dudley\\"")
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