I decided to post baby grebe hitchhikers this morning in the hope they will have a positive effect on my current funk. I suspect some of my readers could use a similar attitude adjustment.
Each of these photos was taken at Bear River MBR on the morning of August 23, 2015. I’ve posted one of them before but the other three are new to my blog. As usual with my photos none of them are perfect but just the presence of these little guys helps me to look beyond imperfections even if I can’t ignore them altogether.
1/2000, f/8, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
One of the most difficult challenges of photographing multiple birds in the same image is getting light in the eye of all of your subjects. In this photo I succeeded in getting a catch light in all three birds.
The other major difficulty presented by long-necked birds on water is dealing with their reflection. It can be very difficult to avoid cutting off the reflection of a long-necked bird’s head and when it happens I typically delete the photo because it looks amputated.
In this photo I triumphed over the catch light and amputation challenges but there always seems to be something that negates my success – in this case it’s that nearly vertical bright, wavy reflection at the left edge of the frame which I find annoying.
1/2000, f/8, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Here I’m especially enamored by the reflections in the water that seem to flowing into the depression in the water made by the adult grebe. I also enjoy seeing the red spot on the chick’s forehead that is most often hidden.
For me the major weakness of the photo is that it’s a little too tight on the birds – in other words I was too close. I also didn’t get light in the chick’s eye but I succeeded in keeping the adult’s reflection intact.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
In this shot I succeeded in all major challenges although I’m always a little frustrated when I can’t shoot my subjects from a lower angle than this.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
After all the bellyaching I’ve done you may have noticed immediately that in this photo I didn’t get a catch light in the hitchhiking chick. But I like the contrasting positions and poses of the youngsters and my shooting angle is a little lower which I always appreciate.
So there you have it, my attempt at attitude adjustment. Hitchhiking grebe chicks will take a chunk out of my funk almost every time.
Ron
Such beautiful scenes showing the intimacy of a Western Grebe family. As soon as you said you weren’t happy with something, I guessed it may be the vertical light on the left if anything. I do like the silky flow of the water apart from the beauty of the chicks and parent.
Thanks much for posting these. We see Grebes in the Salish Sea here but never during breeding. Those chicks couldn’t be cuter. Question: Do the chicks back brood on both parents?
Lyle, Yes, the adults take turns back brooding their chicks. And it’s pretty funny watching them dump the chicks into the water when they get tired of playing “taxi”. I’ve documented it here:
https://www.featheredphotography.com/blog/2017/06/08/western-grebes-chick-dumping/
D’awwwww. And as Dick would say, VBG!
It’s been a crappy week plus having to pill the foster cat again yesterday (he’s on to me, so it was extra difficult), so I am MOST appreciative of this little slice of heaven.
Thanks, Marty. There are different causes of “crappy” but pilling a cat has to be near the top of the list.
NOT at the top of my list of fun things to do! 🙁
Ron, I have been enjoying your Blog and photos for a few months now. This has been one of the uplifting happy moments of my days.
Thank you!!! For the stories and the photos. I look forward to and enjoy everything you do!
Many thanks, Dolores.
If we’re to be honest, no photograph is perfect. Or maybe every photograph is perfect. These are all amazing in their own ways. I think my favorite is the second one, the one with just mom and a lone chick on her back. Simple, strong composition, wonderful moment, and there’s something about the reflection and the swirls in the water that I just love. Perfect!
I appreciate your thoughtful analysis, Stephanie. Thank you.
Like everyone else these images give me a case of the warm fuzzies. A decided improvement.
Love the birds and in the first shot the water itself looks like the very best quality shot silk.
Many, many thanks.
Thanks, EC. Sounds like you’re having a better day than you did yesterday. My guess is that your computer is being less cranky… 🙂
Yes. so far I have only had to reboot it once.
Wonderful series Ron! Thanks for sharing!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
Good Morning Ron,
You made my day! What wonderful pictures.
Good. Thanks, Len.
That are great anti funk images. I saw a few more grebes the last time I was there. I hope they return now there is water in the pond.
I hope you are out finding more funk relief this morning. I am spending the morning trying to figure where I can go to photograph with the new restrictions.
Yup, I was out looking for more “funk relief” this morning, April. I was pretty much bird skunked but it was a gorgeous morning.
Ron. You helped my funk. Or the chicks did.
Thank you. Diana
Lets give the chicks most of the credit, Diana. They deserve it.
Chicks riding on the back of their mama! What a wonderful scene for spring as we celebrate Easter and the promise of new life. Though the photo was from August 2015, it’s a reminder of new life and the hope that it brings for the future. Thanks
“it’s a reminder of new life and the hope that it brings for the future”
And hope is at a premium right now. Thanks, Steve.
Mission accomplished… Smiles all around ❗️
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I just love the picture of the wavy reflection.
For me, the glass is half full in all these pictures 😁
My glass is also more full than empty with all of these shots, Diana. It doesn’t take perfection to make me a happy photographer.
Wonderful photos for instilling hope and reminding us life will go on!
Thank you, Nancy.
How precious! I have not been lucky enough to see this occurrence yet…so glad you shared. I can just imagine in the last photo the little one on mom’s back saying “I’m the baby!’…he just has that sweet look on his face. I’ve seen loons doing this but these babies just have a warm, fuzzy feel that warms the heart!
I’ve always wanted to photograph back brooding loons, Kathy. Hasn’t happened yet…
A couple replies before mine said “BIG GRIN” and that is for sure. I lit up with a big grin as soon as I started down the row with these. Beautiful and heart warming photos Ron. As you mention, we have seen some before, but not all of them. Can’t get much cuter than these. In these days of the COVID virus we definitely need some cheering up. Thanks for posting.
I’m glad my attempt at attitude adjustment worked for you, Everett. Thank you.
I think babies are what keep us going psychologically as well as multiplying as a species. The vast majority are just cute. These kiddos (and their mom) are no exception. There’s simply no choice but to break out in a big grin! Puppies (and dogs) do that to me. All your little nits aside (and I GET the search for perfection), what a lovely series of images. I’m also struck by the universality of parenthood. Yeah, there are also the sea turtle and guppy models, but the overwhelming majority are excellent parents once they learn what they’re doing.
Once again, THANK YOU for brightening my morning!! I sorely needed it!
You’re absolutely right about babies “keeping us going” in more ways than one, Laura. But I’m sure as hell glad I don’t have one of my own at my age. Sheesh, makes me shudder just to think of it, most of all for the baby…
Your back-brooding Western Grebes are always in my top 10! Thanks, Ron, for providing a brief respite from the insanity that’s become our new normal.
Thanks, Diane. Sadly you’re right about our new normal.
I hope the sight of these chicks and their “mama-boat” did for you what
they did for me……..upon opening your blog, I couldn’t help emitting a
grinning “awwww……” Love their little downy heads !
Kris, I did most of my grinning when I was choosing grebe images to post. I have quite a few like these so it was fun to see them again.
Lovely morning message Ron! You brought a smile to my morning face 🙂
Good. Thanks, Rick.
Much needed BIG GRIN this morning supplied by the Grebe photos…… 🙂 “Perfection” just isn’t in the cards most of the time…… 😉 Reflections are a challenge BUT I do love them… Did the totally frustrated grocery run yesterday topped off by the starter not engaging in loaded truck……. 🙁 Neighbor and son in law took care of it later in the day…….LOTS of nasty words in the process…… 😉
I did the grocery run yesterday too, Judy. Haven’t spent that much on groceries in one trip for many years (trying to save trips – kinda like the “lazy man’s load” we mentioned recently… 🙂 )
Yep! 🙂 Except saving trips in this case may be life saving…… 😉