Redhead Pair

“If you’ve dated a redhead raise your glass, if not . . . raise your standards” – Anonymous.

Redheads (of the duck variety) begin to pair up on their winter range and some of the birds now migrating through my area have already formed their monogamous pair bonds.

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Red-tailed Take Off From Farmington Canyon Complex Rocks

I’ve said before how much I prefer the very dark Farmington Canyon Complex rocks on Antelope Island as perches, over the bright white Tintic Quartzite rocks found on the northern part of the island.  This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk made my morning last month when it chose just such a rock to hunt from. I always enjoy it when I can get multiple shots of some interesting behavior or action in sequence.  To me it’s almost like a very slow motion video and though it may include a few images that aren’t perfect individually I think that collectively the photos gain value as a group for what they illustrate – the whole can be greater than its parts.    1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, shot from pickup window, natural light, not baited, set up or called in  Photographing take-offs is always a challenge.  The bird may just sit there for a half hour or longer but when it happens it’s quick and easy to miss.       1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, shot from pickup window, natural light, not baited, set up or called in You also need to be concerned about what direction it will go and if you’re too close (it’s easy to clip wings if you are) or too far away (which shows less detail).  Those with zoom lenses have an advantage over me because they can quickly adjust their focal length to whatever they want within their zoom range, while the only option I have is to attach or detach my teleconverter, which is cumbersome and takes time. …

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