I strongly prefer to photograph birds in early morning for a variety of reasons:
- birds tend to be most active in the morning hours, after a long night of relative inactivity and no food
- there are far fewer people out and about that time of day to make birds more skittish and me more uncomfortable (I don’t enjoy shooting in crowds, in fact I hate it!)
- many birds are “stickier” and more approachable when it’s very cold on winter mornings
- I’m a morning person by nature. Its my favorite time of day and birds are my favorite critters so for me that combination can’t be beat
- the soft, golden light often available that time of day can be just gorgeous
1/800, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed this Northern Harrier soon after sunrise on a frigid winter morning several years ago at Farmington Bay WMA. I’m sure it would have flown off when I approached if it hadn’t been so cold. At first glance it might look like this bird is rousing (shaking its feathers into place) but it wasn’t (this shutter speed couldn’t have frozen fast-moving feathers anyway). Instead it spread its tail and fluffed its feathers and held that pose for some time in an effort to keep warm.
I adore the effect of the warm, golden light on those fluffed feathers – especially the graded way their ends are highlighted on the left wing. I also enjoy the flared tail and those erected breast feathers. Harsh light ruins many potentially wonderful images but this light is about as soft as it can be and I couldn’t be happier about its effects on the image even though one outer tail feather is slightly bright.
Yes, I could have had similar light in the evening but that time of day it would have been much warmer so I’m almost positive the harrier would never have allowed such a close approach at those temperatures.
When it comes to photography (and almost everything else) I’m just a morning kinda guy!
Ron
PS – I’m sure many viewers noticed that I had more “technical problems” with my blog yesterday afternoon and evening. Soon after Mia tracked down and fixed our previous issue (that one turned out to be a problem with Cloudflare) my web hosting service (Bluehost) had a server problem that shut down millions of websites worldwide, including Feathered Photography. The websites of some of my blog followers were also shut down. Sometime during the night they apparently fixed it and I’m up and running again.
Let’s just hope it continues…
Such beauty! This is a lovely image.
Wonderful shot!
I’m just like you in a couple ways: I too am a morning person, and I don’t like crowds either.
Thanks, Levi (I fixed the double comments – that stuff happens, don’t worry about it).
When I wondered why my birds fluffed their feathers on end like that, I was told that they do it to allow sunlight (and vitamin D) to reach their skin…that turtles, other reptiles, just as humans need to expose themselves to this necessary vitamin.
L
Patty, there’s more than one reason they fluff their feathers.
If the early bird gets the worm, then the early photographer gets the bird, right? I’m reminded of this Calvin and Hobbes strip: http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/03/27
Magnificent shot, Ron. This is definitely “mantel worthy!”
Gotta admit, there are times I agree with Calvin at that time of morning, Marty.
Hooray for mornings. And sticky birds. And obessive photographers.
Thank you.
Thanks, EC.
Beautiful warm glow with lovely warm highlights. It makes my heart warm looking at it. If you look in the tops of trees as the sun rises on cold mornings many birds are puffed out trying to warm up in the first rays of the sun. I walk to work early in the morning, winter time my eyes are always glued to the tops of the trees looking for birds. People would be surprised by how many owls and hawks we have in Salt Lake if they looked up.
I caught up on yesterdays post this morning, wonderful story, thank you for sharing. It is nice when you can follow your passion in life. It will be interesting to watch my daughter as she matures though life. She has always had an interest in birds and horses but her life was changed drastically by a imprinted sparrow. She has been involved in bird rehabilitation for 12 years. In fact she is the only reason I got pulled into it. She is almost finished with her undergrad and it will be interesting to see where it will lead next.
You’re absolutely right about looking up in the mornings, April.
It’s sounds like your daughter has made a significant positive difference in the world already!
Ron,
Absolutely beautiful. It seems my approach, even in the early morning, tends to scare off the birds. Maybe I need a pickup instead of a red Jeep! I’m glad I wasn’t the only one that had trouble getting into your blog over the last few days. Glad to be back in action with you.
Stephen
Birds often don’t allow me a close approach either, Stephen – it comes with the territory. One just has to keep at it and hope for a more tolerant bird! A few of them nearly always are.
I really like the golden light in this photo and I do think this is the best time for photography. I would disagree with your statement “I’m just a morning kinda guy.” The time you get up to drive to photograph in early morning light is the middle of the night for most of us😀.
Good point, Chris. In early summer I’m often on the road by 5 AM in order to reach my shooting destination by dawn and by then I’ve already been up for a couple of hours working on my blog and getting ready to go.
Whew, makes me tired just thinking about it…
I’ve never seen a bird lit this way before. I do like it. Unfortunately in my old age, I’m no longer the early morning person I was when I was young, so I would be very unlikely to have an encounter like this. I’m happy to stay warm while you go out and create gorgeous photographs in weather I don’t want to tolerate… 🙂
Susan, the weather isn’t always cold in the mornings but you’re right – when it is it can be pretty uncomfortable.
Spectacular shot Ron!! I like both with a nap in between. ;-))
Charlotte
Agreed, Charlotte. An afternoon nap is an essential component of a truly great day!
Glad you seem to be fixed… even was able to go back and look at the older posts that I missed. Loved the lighting on this one.
Hope you found some interesting stuff back there, Jo. Thanks.
Love!!!!love!!!!love!!!!
Thanks, thanks, thanks, Marina!
Wow! One of your best in my mind. Just lovely.
Thank you, Frank.
The bird almost seems to be lighted from within its own body , yet “statuesque’ from without—what an exquisite image !
I see what you mean, Kris – the bird almost seems to be glowing.
Just gorgeous, Ron! Lighting on the bird is magnificent! 🙂 Glad Mia tracked down the problem and it is fixed – at least for the moment! I’m also a “morning person” – best end of the day. 🙂
Mia’s been a trooper through all of this, Judy – she’s truly a web guru.
This is SO fine! Just looking at this makes me feel grateful to be alive.
Yup, birds can do that for some of us, Sharon. I know the feeling…
Absolutely beautiful shot , Ron.
Thank you, Steve.
Yeah !!!! Finally was able to open your blog post. It has been well over a week. Something in the WWW has been fixed… Happy guy here in Colorado today.
Welcome back, Mark. It’s been a trying week for many of us.
Like Minds …….!
Beautiful shot!
I have to admit it is easy getting up early, but as I get older tough when it is 10 degrees out!
I actually enjoy the morning cold in almost all situations – the exception being when I have my lens on a bird with an open window and a frigid wind is blowing.
Exactly that happened three days ago – by the time the bird flew off my hands and half-acre of exposed forehead were literally numb. And the cold wind on my eyes made them water so much I could barely see!
You’re right, Ron- I thought she was rousing. What a beautiful way to start the day! Thanks again!
That would have been my assumption too, Diane – if I hadn’t been there. Or noticed the shutter speed.
Beautiful shot. I’m with you, there is nothing like a peaceful early morning to set you up for the day! Thanks for the early morning dose of beauty, Ron!
Christina, just the fact that you’re up and active this time of day (it’s 5:42 AM here) is testament to the fact that you’re a fan of mornings!
Breathtaking Ron! “The early bird gets the worm”!
That’s right, Nancy – and so does the early bird photographer.