Rough-legged Hawk “Playing”

This post is about behavior.  Please don’t expect high quality images… Last March I found this juvenile (I believe) Rough-legged Hawk along the Antelope Island causeway on a cold morning after a light snowfall.  It was perched on a windrow of debris consisting mostly of piles of old brine fly pupae casings.   For a while the bird seemed content to simply rest and watch me.   But soon it apparently got bored…     and walked about two feet to my right to investigate a clump of fly casings (red arrow) that had been cemented together by melting snow that had re-frozen during the night.     The hawk reached over to grasp the clump with its talons…     retrieved the clump,…     transferred it to its beak and then instantly tossed it to the ground.  I assumed that was that, figuring the bird had thought it might be something edible, then discarded it for good when it wasn’t.  But that wasn’t what happened.     The hawk grabbed the clump with its talons once again…     and then seemed to contemplate for a few seconds about just what to do next.     Which turned out to be something like “give the clump a toss and see where it lands”.     The hawk immediately started walking over to where the clump had landed behind the mound of fly casings, where it can’t be seen in this image.  It used its wings for a little more stability as it negotiated the hill of debris.  …

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Prairie Falcon Redux

It’s been 16 days since I’ve seen a Prairie Falcon along the causeway and I had just about given up on them for the short-term.  But yesterday, as I was leaving the island after a relatively fruitless morning, I spotted that distinctive flash of bright breast whites up ahead among the rocks and very close to the road.  Sure enough, as I got closer I could tell it was Falco mexicanus perched on a colorful boulder.    1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in, background is the Great Salt Lake I’ll sheepishly admit to the fact that in situations like this I typically come down with a case of “buck fever” (aggravated by the fact that I have familial tremors) and sure enough I was actually shaking with excitement and dread as I tried to maneuver my pickup to get a clear shot of the bird through all the vegetation along the road.  With this particular perch, this was the most unobstructed view I could get.  In case you’re wondering what the source of my “dread” could be, I’m a dedicated pessimist at heart (which Mia mercilessly teases me about) and I’m always convinced that the bird will take off a split second before I get the pickup stopped in a safe place and my finger on the shutter.  That exact thing had happened twice that morning with Red-tailed Hawks.      1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in, background is…

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Shrikes And A Lesson For Me In Light

Birds on Antelope Island have been few and far between lately and yesterday was no exception.  But a couple of Loggerhead Shrikes saved my morning and taught me yet another lesson in light.      1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in It was mostly cloudy on the island when we got there just as the sun was coming up over the mountains but there was a crack in those clouds that provided some very warm light for a few minutes just as we found this cooperative shrike.  The golden light provides colors to the bird and perch – an effect that I like, especially with the dark storm clouds in the background.      1/500, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in I was only able to get off a few shots before the shrike flew to another perch, which gave me side light on the bird.  This is a tricky lighting situation.  When the bird was facing left into the sun the bright whites on the breast  and neck “blew out” (too bright with no detail) and the shadows on the back of the shrike were too dark.  But when it turned to its right and looked over its shoulder at me the exposure worked much better.  The problem with this pose was getting both light in the eye and good eye contact.  This image was one of the few that worked.  I like the contrasting cool and warm tones on the shrike….

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A Gluttonous Pied-billed Grebe

Pied-billed Grebes are opportunistic feeders so they’re not very fussy about what they eat, but they do seem particularly fond of crayfish, fish and frogs (including tadpoles).  Before consuming crayfish and frogs (both are often too large to swallow whole) they rip them apart in an incredibly rapid shaking frenzy that tears off limbs and pieces before they’re swallowed (something I’ve documented here with a frog).   They have very strong jaw muscles and before swallowing fish they repeatedly pinch them with their beak, which kills them by damaging their internal organs.       Occasionally, when choosing prey, their eyes are bigger than their stomachs – as you’re about to see.  (all images are presented in the order that they occurred)    All images presented in this post had the following techs: f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, shutter speed ranged from 1/2000 to 1/1250 Last winter, I noticed this grebe just after it surfaced with a fish.   A very large  fish, at least relative to the size of the bird who must now swallow it.  (I’ve never seen one tear a fish into smaller pieces before eating it). As a side-note, I liked the “extra eye” in the reflection at the bottom of the frame.   I thought this image would give the viewer a good sense for the size of the fish – especially its width!     But the poor bird didn’t have any time at all to get the meal down before other grebes rushed in to try to steal the fish.   The competition at times like this is…

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Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk

For several days early last month I was able to photograph this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk (and occasionally its apparent sibling) while it was “sit and wait” hunting for voles from elevated rocks on Antelope Island.  The first six images I’ve presented here were all taken on the same morning.    1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in Many of these shots were taken during or just after take-off and you’ll notice that the bird was flying to my left in all six images taken that morning.   That’s due to the “lay of the land” and the fact that the rocks this bird was hunting from were angled on the side of the mountain in such a way that the hawk was always hunting an area to my left.  This is one of the few times the bird took off when it wasn’t after prey.      1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, natural light, not baited, set up or called in When the hawk had spotted prey before it took off it never took its eyes off the quarry as it was going in, so I normally wouldn’t get direct eye contact.  This bird was very close when it took off – you’ll notice from my techs that I’d removed my tc and the hawk was still quite large in the frame.      1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in It was somewhat problematic when there were rocks directly behind the…

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Pied-billed Grebe Showing Off A Little

I’ve always thought of Pied-billed Grebes as sort of the Rodney Dangerfields of the bird world because they just “don’t get no respect”.  At least they don’t get as much as I think they deserve from bird photographers.  They’re plain little brown birds, very common (in fact they’re the most widely distributed grebe species in North America) and often when they’re seen they’re just sitting calmly on the water so many photographers usually ignore them. But if you spend enough time with them it won’t be long till you see that they’re full of personality and interesting behaviors.  They’re pugnacious, aggressive and extremely active in bursts.  I enjoy the heck out of them.    1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in  While I was watching this bird float effortlessly on the water it began to rouse (ruffle its feathers).   Sometimes rousing is a precursor to a wing flap so this time…      1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in  I was ready when it happened.  When grebes do a wing flap they raise their chubby little bodies out of the water.      1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in  This one didn’t last long and here the bird is already beginning to settle back onto the water.      1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in…

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Northern Harrier In Flight Along The Causeway

A few weeks ago I was able to photograph this Northern Harrier along the Antelope Island causeway.  I like both of these shots because of the good look at the topside of the bird.    1/2000. f/6.3. ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not set up, baited or called in The background certainly isn’t “classic” by any means but it’s one found in very few places on the planet, which makes me appreciate it.  The lighter colors are Great Salt Lake beach sand and the strips of red are windrows of brine fly pupae cases that have been washed up by the waves into parallel rows.  And hey, their colors even go well with the bird (I know, I’m reaching for that one…)       1/2000. f/6.3. ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not set up, baited or called in This was the next shot in the burst.  I prefer the second image because of the slightly better head turn toward the viewer, the more appealing catch light in the eye and the aerodynamic wing position that suggests speed.  But I’m glad to have them both because decent flight shots of harriers don’t come easy. Ron

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Burrowing Owl – Same Bird, Same Perch, Different Angle

I’d like to make a point with this post.  It’s one that every experienced bird photographer knows on some level but in the heat of the moment (it can be very exciting getting close to a “good” bird in nice light) it’s one that is easily forgotten.  I’m getting much better at remembering but I still slip up occasionally. The point?  Very minor changes in your shooting position can make huge differences (positive, negative or indifferent) in your photo.  I’ll illustrate that point with a couple of shots that I took this morning.  They’re not my best Burrowing Owl images but they’ll serve their purpose here.    1/160, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in This morning we think we found a new (to us) Burrowing Owl burrow right next to the road on Antelope Island that we’ve probably driven by several hundred times and never noticed.  We don’t know for sure that it’s an owl burrow because we didn’t get out of the pickup and go tromping all over the area to inspect it.  And right next to it was this juvenile owl, perched on a sagebrush, where we’d never seen an owl before.  It had been cloudy but some light had begun peeking through a “crack” in the clouds when this shot was taken. It’s a “busy” perch and when the sun began to come out the bird was sidelit so I decided to change my position slightly…      1/320, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or…

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Clark’s Grebes – Parents Feeding Fish To Some Very Excited Chicks

This past June I spent lots of time with Western and Clark’s Grebes as they were raising their families.   The two species are quite similar but the adult  birds in this post can be recognized as Clark’s Grebes by their bright yellow-orange bills and the fact that their eyes are surrounded by white plumage, rather than black.    1/2000. f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light This female of a mated pair was fishing for her family as the male back-brooded two chicks (the sexes take turns with each role).  I happened to catch her just as she emerged from the water with a fish and shook the water off.  I wish I had better eye contact and more room around the grebe, but this image is full frame.  I include it here because it’s the logical beginning of this “fish story”.      1/2000. f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light Seconds later she swam over to deliver the fish to her family.  Sometimes the fish will be given to the brooding parent, who may eat it or give it to a chick. Other times, the fishing parent gives it directly to one of the youngsters.  Either way, if the chicks are hungry they become very excited and aggressive in their attempts to be the one who gets the fish.  Before the young birds saw breakfast coming their way, they were tucked down peacefully under each wing with only their heads and necks sticking out.  All that changed in an instant.       1/2000….

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Swainson’s Hawk – Contrasting Top And Bottom Views In Flight

This bird was one of the early migrants into Utah in the first week of April this year.  Swainson’s Hawks winter in South America, which means they funnel through narrow Central America as they migrate each way.  To give you an idea of how many birds that involves, 845,000 of them have been counted as they passed over Veracruz, Mexico in a single autumn.  Incredible!    1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, natural light, not baited, set up or called in I found this bird in a remote area of Box Elder County, hunting from power poles.  One of the reasons I like this image is because it’s fairly unusual for me to get a raptor in full flight (instead of just after taking off, note the position of the feet) when it’s not soaring or gliding with its wings in a horizontal position. I’m always interested when I can get images that contrast the ventral and dorsal colors and plumage patterns of the same species in flight.  Swainson’s Hawks are quite dark dorsally.       1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, natural light, not baited, set up or called in But when you can get good light in the ventral view, the contrast is striking.   Even though these two images were taken 34 minutes apart, I’m relatively certain that it’s the same bird in both shots. This hawk was coming to land on a power pole and even though the flight position screams for a perch in front of the bird, I took the liberty of cloning out the ugly pole…

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Snow Geese On The Causeway

For the last few days there have been two Snow Geese along the causeway to Antelope Island – an adult and a juvenile.  This species nests on the arctic tundra and is in the midst of migration to more hospitable climes for the winter.  Parents stay with their young through the first winter and families generally don’t break up until they reach their breeding grounds the following spring.    1/500, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light When we relocated these two birds yesterday morning (we’d also seen them two days before) the sun had not yet cleared the elevated causeway road so the birds were still in shade.   I include this image so adult and juvenile can be compared and so that you can see the dramatic changes that occur when the warm, early morning light advances on the birds.       1/640, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light  Here, the light has just reached the head and neck of the adult.      1/640, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light  A few seconds later it has advanced to the feet but not to the ground.  It was interesting to watch the light move down the bird.       1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light  I didn’t get a lot of action out of either bird – this yawn from the juvenile…      1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light  and a wing and foot stretch was about the only “excitement”…

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American Kestrel In Flight

Anyone who follows my blog knows that I love to photograph raptors and flight shots are perhaps my favorite genre.  But I’ve found getting acceptable flight shots of the American Kestrel to be nigh on to impossible (unless they’re hovering).  The smaller the bird, the more difficult it is to get in flight, for a variety of reasons, and kestrels are perhaps our smallest raptor. The best chance is to catch them just after take-off.  Most raptors give some indication of imminent take-off (body posture, defecation etc) so you often know when it’s coming, but kestrels generally don’t.  They launch so incredibly fast, and in unpredictable directions, that luck will always play a large role in getting the shot.  Then, throw into the mix the fact that their speed requires very high shutter speeds and the result is a very formidable photographic quarry.   1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in Two days ago I was able to get this shot of a female kestrel taking off from a metal post.  I like the wing position, light and especially the acrobatic position of the legs and feet.  I had the shutter speed to get the bird sharp but f/5.6 didn’t give me enough depth of field to prevent blur in the right wing. But I think a little wing blur in a shot like this still works pretty well. Ron

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An Amazingly Resilient One-legged Ibis

Last week I came across this one-legged White-faced Ibis at Farmingtom Bay.  Normally, these birds feed by slowly wading through the water and locating their invertebrate prey by tactile probing of the muddy substrate.  Their long, recurved and extremely sensitive bill is an ideal tool for this purpose.   But this bird, of course, is unable to wade.  So it would stand in one spot for a few seconds while feeding and then jump to the next spot with great effort.     The problem it had with this method was maintaining balance as it was landing in the new spot, since it couldn’t put down the missing leg for support.     So,  as it landed it would use that long bill as a sort of substitute for the missing leg and foot, thus gaining an additional balancing and support point in the mud.     Here it has just regained balance and is closing its wings and pulling its long bill off of the mud.     Perhaps what the bird was doing can be better visualised from this one photo, where you can tell from the turbulence around the right leg that the ibis has just landed in this spot a split second before and that it is using its long bill to brace itself in order to regain balance.     And here I caught the ibis just as it was “landing” on a new feeding spot – the water is actually fairly deep here. I hope this post isn’t seen as much…

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An Incredible Experience With A Prairie Falcon And A Hapless Duck

This morning on Antelope Island was a photographic bust – heavy snow coming down most of the time and no light to speak of.  So finally, after several hours of hoping the clouds would clear, we put our tails between our legs and headed for home.  Talk about perfect timing! We’d traversed about half the causeway when the clouds parted, light blossomed and a serendipitous adult Prairie Falcon appeared, hunting for ducks.   The falcon ambushed this male Northern Shoveler just as I was getting my pickup in position, so I missed that shot but this one was taken within a second or two of the strike.  The duck is bleeding heavily.     It struggled for a minute or so, and then died in the water.     After the attack, the falcon would perch along the causeway for a short period, then take off and fly over the duck.  This was done repeatedly.   With my 500mm plus tc I could never get both the duck and the falcon in the image – this is as close as I came.      1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in Here, the falcon is perched to watch the duck out on the water.      1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in I had a difficult time locking focus on the falcon as it buzzed the duck because the textured water background was so close to the bird.  I kept getting sharp shots of…

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Prairie Falcon In Flight, With Prey

This image may look familiar to some viewers because I’ve previously posted another photo of this bird with a different wing position.  I only got those two sharp shots of the falcon and I’d never processed this image before because the bird was too tight in the frame.  I’d actually forgotten about this photo until recently when I decided it was worth making the effort to add some canvas to improve the composition.    1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, natural light, not baited, set up or called in I found this juvenile feeding on its duck kill along the Antelope Island causeway last winter on a dark and blustery late morning.  Two ravens began to harass the falcon with the apparent intention of stealing the duck so the rightful owner of the prey took off with the prize in tow.  Within seconds, an adult Bald Eagle moved in and forced the falcon to drop the duck. One thing I find interesting about this image is the angle of the bird to the horizon – it looks like it’s flying downward, but in reality it’s actually gaining altitude.  Normally, with the bird at this flight attitude, I’d rotate counterclockwise a little to make the flight angle more realistic looking, but since the horizon is in the background it’s obvious that the shot doesn’t need rotation since the horizon is level.  The reason for the angled flight attack is the load that the falcon is hauling while it’s trying to gain altitude. The lower background is the dark, stormy and…

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