Yesterday was a day of surprises, both good and bad, and a fair number of good birds.
The first surprise was a real bummer. We’d had clear weather and bright blue skies for days and more of the same was forecast for yesterday so I headed north, far north, to look for birds. But after an hour and a half of driving in the predawn darkness it became apparent that there was ‘something’ unexpected in the air.
It was a wall of smoke that looked like it was coming down from the north but I’ve since learned it’s from the California fires to our west. What we see in this cell phone photo taken at dawn is just the beginning of it. The smoke was weird because it was in layers and that’s unusual. Here we see a layer on the ground in the distance to the right and another layer further away and higher up. The smoke got steadily worse all day and it continues today.
Thankfully once the sun rose above the worst of the early smoke I had reasonably good light for several hours but it’s been a foul mess out there ever since.
My ultimate destination was a migrant trap (a place where migrating birds concentrate) that is often productive this time of year and yesterday it didn’t disappoint.
I was photographing a variety of songbirds in a clump of bushes quite close to me when an adult Red-tailed Hawk came from out of nowhere and landed on some rocks right behind the bushes. It was way too close for my 500mm lens with attached teleconverter but my bird photographer instincts took over so I fired away anyway.
These first three photos are crap but I’m including them to help me tell the story. In this shot I was trying to anticipate where on the rocks the hawk would land and wasn’t doing a very good job of it. In this full frame (uncropped) photo all we see is the bottom half of the bird with ‘her’ legs stretched out in anticipation of landing. And some of the rocks are sharper than the hawk.
I finally got most of her in the frame a millisecond after touchdown.
In the next shot in the burst she’s beginning to settle onto her new perch.
Even perched and without her wings out I was still a little too close to get her comfortably in frame with my teleconverter attached so for this shot and others I removed it.
But after taking quite a few photos of her on the rocks I wanted a chance at takeoff/flight shots if she lifted off and I was still too close for the gear I was using when she spread her wings. So I switched to my other camera with the my smaller zoom lens attached and hoped for the best.
That ‘baby lens’ of mine has saved my ass many hundreds of times over the years and yesterday it came through again.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in
This is my favorite flight shot after she took off.
It’s funny, if I had clipped her wing at the frame edge it would have bothered me so much I’d have deleted the shot but having her wingtip hidden behind the rocks doesn’t bother me in the least. Go figure.
So in the end and after all the excitement I only got one flight shot that I think really stands out. But one good shot beats the hell out of being skunked.
Ron
Sensational series Ron! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Charlotte.
Climate change? What climate change?
Still, a very nice shot of that red-tail…clipped wing or not.
Yup, far too many folks have their heads in the sand (or up their poop chute). Thanks, Jim.
We too have a lot of smoke today. It’s 106 here today, and we can’t run our air conditioning due to the smoke. I live in So. Calf., and the fire we are affected by was deliberately set. The fires in No. Calif. were started by lightening. So sad. Love all of your shots by the way. I love Hawks!
Thanks, Jean. I guess I was unaware that smoke somehow interfered with AC.
Our sky’s been red the past couple of days and there’s a fine layer of ash over everything here. Went outside for a little while today and had to come back in because it was hard to breathe. I finally opened up the house a little bit after sweltering temps, but now have to close it up again because of the air quality; I’m starting to sneeze and my eyes are watering. There are a couple fires in the local mountains right now. One is threatening important seismic equipment near Mt. Wilson.
My heart breaks for the wildlife and the people affected by one entitled couple’s stupidity. People are so damn selfish! Cut open a cake or throw streamers if you need to tell the world what your crotchgoblin’s 23rd chromosomes are. Don’t. Set. Shit. On. Fire.
Sorry. I should talk about your beautiful Ms. Hawk. And she is! The last shot is really special! And that being said, I think my favorite shot is the first one. I must love a “landing gear” shot. 😉
Marty, your anger is palpable and understandable and I’ll admit to thoroughly admiring your creative description of the couple responsible for that fire.
I’ll drink to ALL of that! 🍻😂
The beauty of this Red-tail — from dropping in to taking off — takes away some of the agony of record heat in SoCal, relentless wildfires (most outrageous the one caused by pyrotechnics at a “gender reveal” party on the HOTTEST day of the year!) and blankets of smoke across the West.
I’m glad you got to snag these shots of her with a blue sky background. It’s somehow comforting. 😐
I read about that gender reveal party and its consequences, Chris. I hope the folks responsible have severe consequences of their own.
I am all to familiar with smoke shrouded skies. My heart aches for the wildlife and people affected.
Love the powerful Red-tail though. Of course. Those talons are soooooo impressive. And useful. And oh, that wing span…
Yes, you folks down under had some infernos not long ago. Thanks, EC.
We started the year wearing face masks. And will probably end the year the same way.
I actually love the first shot 😉 I am so amazed by and in awe of talons….they are powerful beyond imagination, those rachet-y toes, the strength of their grip…all of it is astounding and humbling. So to me, it was a close up of just that and also a wonderful portrait of how they use them for landing, as well as hunting, holding food while they tear it apart, and fighting and everything else they do with them. Thanks, as always, for the photos Ron…
Karen, I’d like it better if the feet, legs and talons were sharper…
As I read everyone’s comments, I enjoyed their opinions and agree with their overview. Love your stories Ron. Even if i don’t always comment I enjoy the heck out of your site. Linda from AZ, visiting Park City every summer.
Thank you, Linda. I hope you’re above the smoke in Park City but I doubt it.
Red-tailed hawks have been very scarce here lately. Must all be in Utah. Nice to see you found one. The blue sky (hmm, blue sky in back to back posts from someone who is “typically not a fan…”😀) and orange lichens are the perfect complement.
We seem to be north of the wildfire smoke…so far.
Lyle, I do wish there was a few puffy white clouds back there but I’m fine with it as is.
That first photo reminded me of photos some of my friends and I used to call “there was a ???” there. At least you got the legs!
At least… 🙂
Very nice photos, I am happy the air did not mess too much with sharpness.
I went for my bike ride last night, very apocalyptic. The sun was a red ball and it gave an eerie red glow to the smoky air. My sinuses and eyes still feel irritated from the smoke. East winds are predicted for tonight, it should clear out the smoke. I am still shaking my head in disbelief about the snow on it’s way Tuesday.
It’s crazy isn’t it, April.
Sorry I missed you yesterday. I was taking a nap. I bought some ice cream this morning to go along with your peaches… 🙂
Hi Ron,
LOVE every part of this series, and especially the final flight shot. That picture is a real keeper. The position of the hawk is attention grabbing! The colors of the orange rocks and the blue sky compliment the hawk beautifully. Thank you!
The power and danger of wild fires is so scary. My brother lives in Paradise, CA where my parents lived during their retirement years. He saw his ENTIRE town burn to the ground. Thankfully, our parents house (where my brother now lives) just north in Magalia survived. It was surrounded by angels. xo
Wow, Paradise!
I watched a couple of documentaries on that fire. What a tragedy.
Those rear talons are quite impressive in the take off shot.
Yup, they are.
Beautiful shots Ron! We hardly if ever see a dark phase Red-tail or one that has the markings of this Red-tail. A beautiful bird!
Thanks for sharing. Stay safe!
Thank you, Dick.
Good Morning, Ron, I so love these photos…its the bird I love to see and you have captured its being even though not all its feathers in the early ones! ZMy heart aches for California. I used to live the the beautiful North…glad to be in the green North East at the moment. Best wishes and thank you!
Mary, I have roots in San Diego County so my heart hurts for them too.
Saturday evening REALLY bad smoke descended here and stayed most of the night – a “combo” of CA (again) and MT. Had to get out the little air cleaner I have just for that particularly for Joe! 😳 Being down in a hole I wouldn’t know about the layers – interesting! Beautiful shot of the Red Tail…😀 Rock is nature, clipping a wing is you……..😉 45/rain/N wind this morning – hoping for LOTS of rain tho suspect that’s wishful thinking.
I hope you get oodles of rain too, Judy. And thanks for the weather report – as you know I’m particularly interested in your weather and smoke conditions right now.
Call me weird, but I actually like the first shot of the hawk pre-landing. There is a specialness to to it. Definitely not something many folks get to see/experience.
I lived in Northern California in the 60s/early 70s and am heartbroken about the forest fires and all the damage they are causing.
Marcia, I can see the attraction of that shot but I’d sure like it better if what we can see of the hawk was sharp.
Nice pics, as usual.
Be glad you are not IN California. The smoke and fires are horrendous; yet, in a short time we will look back on this as the “good old days”.
I’m afraid you’re probably right, Brad.
We have that same California smoke haze here as well as from some of our own fires. That take off photo is really good and as you say, no problem with a wingtip behind a rock as opposed to being clipped the other way. Looking at that close up of the talons taken from below looks like what a bunny or squirrel or some other prey would see just before becoming breakfast. And those landing shots even though clipped are really beautiful. Overall in spite of the haze and some clipped wings I would say you had an outstanding day.
Thank you, Everett.
That smoke was worse than it looks in the photo and it continued to get worse all day. Late yesterday afternoon it looked real spooky around here and I’m afraid we’ll have more of the same today. .