and mostly losing.
1/4000, f/6.3, 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
Very soon after sunrise yesterday morning I encountered this adult Rough-legged Hawk, a male I believe, perched on a wooden fence post in Tooele County. The background is mountain foothills with patches of snow.
He allowed me plenty of time for all the perched shots I wanted so my next goal was takeoff and flight shots. In this situation I had more than enough to think about so I thought I’d let readers in on some of the mental gymnastics I was dealing with as I waited for him to take off.
This is the last photo I took before he launched. I’ve left it uncropped so readers can see how much room in the frame I had in my viewfinder with my teleconverter attached to my lens. I had two goals – to pay very close attention to the bird so I didn’t miss his takeoff and to avoid clipping any body parts during takeoff and flight. Following are some of the thoughts and decisions that kept whirling through my mind as I waited:
- Whatever you do Mr. Dudley, don’t clip those long wings when he lifts them vertically during takeoff!
- There was a stiff breeze blowing from the south (our left) as evidenced by the raised feathers on the back of his head in the first photo above. That meant that at least initially he was most likely to take off to my left, the direction he was facing, to take advantage of the extra lift provided by the wind. So I needed to allow plenty of room in the frame in that direction.
- He was on an elevated perch so he was less likely to take off at a steep upward angle but with that wind coming in he just might anyway – there are no guarantees.
- But a single question was the primary thought on my mind as I waited. Should I remove my teleconverter to give me more room in the frame for his very long wings, or not? Removing my tc gives me almost 30% more room in the frame and if I swap it out efficiently and quickly (which doesn’t always happen) it takes me about 5 seconds. But that always seems to be when the bird chooses to take off so I entirely miss the takeoff and flight shots.
I wished I’d already had it off but I didn’t so I didn’t take the chance. In hindsight I should have.
1/4000, f/6.3, 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
I spent over nine minutes waiting for him to take off so I had all the time in the world to remove my tc. And I wish I had because, you guessed it I…
1/4000, f/6.3, 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
clipped his right wing. Damn, those wings are long.
1/3200, f/6.3, 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
This is one of only two flight shots I got where he was sharp and I didn’t clip or cut off body parts. And because of the wind he lifted off at a steeper angle…
1/3200, f/6.3, 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
than I expected him to. I’ve cropped this and the following photo so the perch can still be seen and…
1/4000, f/6.3, 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
the steepness of his takeoff can be evaluated. That unexpected steepness caused me to cut off about a third of his wing this time.
After this photo was taken he turned sharply to my right and passed by in front of my pickup so quickly in the tailwind I had little chance to get him in frame again while shooting out my window. And I didn’t.
1/6400, f/6.3, 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
An hour and 46 minutes later I came back to the same area and found him again but this time he was further away, the light was harsher and much cooler and he was side lit.
You win some and you lose some but on this occasion I lost more than I won.
Ron
Spectacular series Ron!
Beautiful shots of beautiful subjects. I’ve settled for much worse clipped wings, but my photos of empty perches far outnumber them!
Beautiful photos, even with the clipped wing. I’m always looking for ID clues and I love the way his feathered legs are so clear. We don’t see a lot of rough-legged hawks here in Virginia. But if I’m ever including them in one of my talks, I’ll need to ask you for permission to use one of your photos!
I’m a wing clipper extraordinaire. As for removing the TC? It’s a rare occasion for me. If I remove the TC I’ve got to; Switch camera off > Disconnect camera from lens > Disconnect TC from Lens > Install appropriate caps > Set TC somewhere safe > Reconnect camera to lens > Turn camera on. Somewhere between steps four and five the bird has left, flown over my head and landed somewhere I need the TC.
Thomas, I go through each of those steps except one. I don’t “install appropriate caps” until the encounter is over.
I have sort of a system set up to make it as quick as possible, including a cutout on my lens caddy right next to me for keeping my tc safe when it isn’t attached to my lens (although it always is attached unless I’m actively on a bird that’s close).. When I first got my tc I endlessly practiced dry runs until I could usually do it very quickly. But as you can imagine, when things go wrong and they sometimes do, they really slow me down.
I enjoyed the peek into your brain, Ron. I imagine there was a bit more chatter than you shared, especially with respect to the teleconverter. (You know that if you had taken the 5 sec. to remove it, Ol’ Murph would have pushed the bird off the perch at that moment.)
The shots off the wooden perch have an air of intimacy about them that really appeals to me. I’m not sure if it’s the light, the angle, or the clipped wings that provide that sense; perhaps a combination of the three. I guess I’m a sucker for “imperfect perfection.” 🙂
Thanks, Marty. Yes, there was more chatter but I’ve shared the most important parts.
What a difference an hour and 46 minutes make! That last image looks like an entirely different bird on an entirely different day in an entirely different location. As for the dilemma of tc v. no tc, it’s probably darned if you do, darned if you don’t on any given day. Which is why you keep coming back for more—you do love the challenge of trying to outwit these beautiful raptors!
Those differences are pretty dramatic aren’t they Chris. It surprised me too.
Oh so sorry! It is still beautiful. Part of what made me so mad about my photos from yesterday. No clipped eagle wings and nicely framed but blurred by too low of a shutter speed and heat waves. When I get home maybe I will post a few.
I think yesterday was a tough day for both of us in that regard, April.
Of course you often lose. But oh your wins are sweet. So very sweet, and calorie free. They are also addictive.
EC, sometimes I’m so tense while waiting for a bird to take off I’m probably even burning calories. Never thought of it as a method of losing weight but who knows…
‘A Day in the Life of Ron Dudley’…it would be a book most would purchase! Love all the photos. I find the differences of the ‘before’ and ‘after’ interesting. What a difference that short amount of time makes in the photo…the ‘golden hour’ is truly evident here.
The golden hour often allows for some magic in our photos, Kathy. Easier to get light in the eye then too.
The calculations you entertain in advance of the shot are complex enough
that they would make my head EXPLODE–I think it’s miraculous that you
succeed as often as you do—-edit– just the opposite of miraculous—a lot
of very tough learning curve, and a lot of patience that it took to master it.
Kris, I don’t think any of us ever master it. After all, unpredictable birds are involved. Thank you.
Agree with Arwen! And there are some real gems here. Love the 2nd uncropped photo with the hawk looking straight at you. The lighting on his face is superb! A day in the life of Ron Dudley – yes please!
Thanks, Kathleen. Some of my days are better than others, far better than the worst of them.
My thought process would have been:
1) Holy #*$@, there’s a Rough-legged Hawk.
2) I wish I had something besides this lousy cell phone to take a picture.
3). Heck, even if I did Ron would get way better photos than I could.
And so you did.
Lyle, You’re #1 is pretty close to what I think every time I get close to one.
Ron, you know a retired biology teacher can’t outsmart a Roughie:) I greatly appreciated this series and was laughing all the way through. I and probably all who work at getting take-off photos had to laugh at your semi-successful attempt. I have done the 9 minutes like this trying outsmart an eagle and have been defeated more times than I have been victorious. Ok, she’s going to lift way up so be sure you leave lots of room at the top – and damn – she shoots straight down toward the lake. Or if I plan for her to dive she does the very fast straight up lift and I am cursed again.
But no matter the result – we always come back for more.
“But no matter the result – we always come back for more.”
We’re gluttons for punishment aren’t we, Everett.
He “did you” 😖! The best laid plans………😉 That being said what you DID capture is beautiful. 😀 The feather detail is wonderful and still fascinated by the feathers down to the feet. The light later sure demonstrates what a difference time of day can/does make. The life of a wildlife photographer …….
There are some winners there along with the wing clip! It definitely would have taken off in the small time frame it took to make the switch. It might be like waiting in one spot for the action to occur and it happens five seconds after you decide to leave!
Yup, you know the drill Bruce. Sounds like you’re a bird photographer…
I am Ron. If it was not such a challenge there would be nothing more to learn!
I really like seeing inside your mind. 😀 I always learn things. And the difference between the warm and cold light is really striking. I fear this bird was a charter member of the “KRH” club. Keep Ron Hoping…
“I really like seeing inside your mind.”
Like most things involving me it’s a cluttered mess in there. Thanks, Arwen.
Wonderful pics Ron. And, IMHO, it’s definitely a WIN when you have such a wonderful story to go with the pics. Made me smile and laugh at 5:15am (PST), which is a very nice accomplishment indeed. Thanks Ron!
Good, I’m glad you enjoyed it Rick. I especially appreciate your comment about “the story”. Sometimes I think I ramble on too much.