West Desert Mule Deer Behaviors

Last week we spent a few days camping and exploring Utah’s west desert. A herd of Mule Deer composed of over a dozen animals hung around the general vicinity of our campsite for most of the time we were there. They still had most of their winter coat so they were scruffy and sun-bleached but they displayed a couple of interesting behaviors that I was able to photograph.

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Chukars Descending

I’ve mentioned before how very reluctant Chukars are to fly. They much prefer to scurry away through the grasses whenever they feel insecure or threatened.

And that reluctance also applies when they’re ready to leave an elevated perch. They’ll nearly always find a way to scramble down a big rock rather than fly from it like most other birds would. That tendency was demonstrated to me twice yesterday morning on Antelope Island.

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Fluffed Up Kestrel In Warm Light

Just a simple shot of a handsome little male American Kestrel this morning.

I’m still concerned about our kestrels this spring. I’m seeing fewer of them than usual for this time of year and hearing reports of a significant number of unused nest boxes and dead kestrels found in some of those boxes (apparent winter-kills).

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A Bird Photographer’s Conundrum – Red-tailed Hawk

Sunday morning we visited Utah’s west desert to see what we could turn up out there.  We found a pair of American Kestrels, a few Swainson’s Hawks, one Ferruginous Hawk, several Turkey Vultures apparently feeding on a dead calf and four Red-tailed Hawks.  But most were difficult to approach, in bad light or on ugly perches. Note: Some of this post may be of interest only to photographers.  I apologize in advance to those of you interested more in the results of bird photography than in the process…    1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, natural light, not baited, set up or called in  But we did find the nesting pair of red-tails that I’ve posted about previously.  This bird was perched up a canyon near the nest where its mate was incubating  eggs.  I caught the hawk at lift-off…      1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, natural light, not baited, set up or called in  and immediately after…      1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, natural light, not baited, set up or called in and I was able to keep the bird in focus for a long burst of 22 images as it flew to my left.  The problem was that it had been perched above me on a hill so when it took off it mostly glided with its wings straight out and shaded underneath so many of those shots aren’t particularly interesting.      1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, natural light, not baited, set up or called in This was the last image with any light under the wings….

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The Bison Of Antelope Island

Last fall I drove up just as this scenario was playing out. This guy was a biker (bicycle) who had laid his bike down on the road and approached this bison much too closely on foot to get a few photos with his point and shoot. I just knew bad stuff was going to happen so I quickly aimed my camera just as the bison charged this bozo.

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Mountain Plovers Revisited

As some of you know, 10 days ago we found a pair of Mountain Plovers on Antelope Island. These plovers are rare in Utah, the few that are seen here are on their way to Montana, Wyoming and Colorado to breed so after a day or two these birds were gone. But they sure created a buzz in the birding community while they were here.

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Gray Partridges In Northwest Montana

The Gray Partridge has a fairly limited range in North America and most folks don’t get to see them so I thought some of my readers might be interested in a post on the species. This bird prefers the grasslands and grainfields of our northern wheat-belt so they’re fairly common on our family farm in northwest Montana.

Gray Partridges are often called Hungarian Partridges, or “Huns” for short.

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Barn Owl In Flight Showing Dorsal Plumage Patterns and Alulae

Barn Owls have rather intricate plumage patterns and interesting color gradations on their dorsal (back) surfaces but they are rarely seen in their entirety in a single image. That’s partly because to get such an image you need to get them in flight with their wings out and tail spread which is very difficult to do since they’re primarily nocturnal.  And when you do manage a flight shot of one you’re usually looking up at them and can’t see much, if any, of the dorsal surface.  I thought this image fit the bill. especially with the bird looking down so that we can also see the colors and patterns on the top of the head.  Yes, I do wish I had more light in the eye…    1/1600. f/8, ISO 500 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, canvas added for composition, not baited, set up or called in Another thing I like about the image is the clear look at the alulae (plural of alula) or “bastard wings – the first digit or “thumb” on the leading edge of the wing. And this shot shows one more thing that intrigues me – the right alula (left in our view) is extended further forward and at a sharper angle than the one on the birds left, perhaps in compensation for the tipped angle of flight.  My research indicates that there’s still debate among experts about whether or not birds have muscular control of the alulae or they only respond to the pressure of air currents.   This owl has just spotted potential prey below and is flying very slowly as…

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Meadowlark – Wary At First, Then Singing With Gusto

I tend to like gnarly old sagebrush perches and I’ve had my eye on this one for a while. It’s close to the road, in good light in the morning and Western Meadowlarks use it often. But unlike when they’re perched on an ugly sign, they always seem to fly off as I approach when they’re on this one.

That changed yesterday morning.

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Chukar Contrasts

Early last Sunday morning was a good time for Chukars on Antelope Island. It was too early for the weekend crowds who were mostly still home snoozing away, the light was great and the Chukars cooperative.

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