A ten image flight series. And the loss of a giant in the birding world.
That’s a lot of photos and some of them are similar to each other but I think there’s value in seeing multiple consecutive shots of a bird in flight for the better understanding of the dynamics of flight it can provide.
These photos were taken six days ago at Bear River MBR. The adult male Rough-legged Hawk had taken off away from me but soon after takeoff he unexpectedly curled around and flew closer to my pickup as he flew to another perch in front of me. I posted this first shot in the series five days ago as a stand-alone but the other nine are new to Feathered Photography.
The photos were taken in a burst with 1/10th of a second between them. They’re presented in the order they were taken but I left one shot out because it was just a little too soft.
Image techs for these photos are all the same – 1/8000, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender. My shutter speed is incredibly high because I had no time to make camera adjustments.
I plan to keep my narration to a bare minimum. Many of these photos speak for themselves.
The wing position in most of them was either horizontal or in the up position to some degree, with very few showing the wings in a down position because the hawk had already gained air speed so he didn’t need deep power strokes. His legs were tucked under his tail for the entire series.
The photo I took after this shot is the one I’m not including because it was too soft.
Here’s the one taken after that.
I believe he had his nictitating membrane fully closed for this shot.
One of the few photos with his wings in a down position.
In this shot his right wing shaded most of his body.
The last photo in the series. After this shot he was mostly past me and besides, I started clipping and cutting off body parts. I was lucky to get this many photos of him where he was sharp, with no body parts cut off and with enough room in the frame for a composition that works for me.
If the narration of this post seems a little disjointed it’s because my mind is partly elsewhere. Just before bedtime last night I learned that Jerry Liguori passed away on Christmas Eve after a 5 1/2 year battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Jerry was a giant in the birding world and a raptor ID specialist who was known and highly respected internationally. And he was a friend who lived here in Salt Lake City.
June 19, 2016 was the day Mia and I found the juvenile Short-eared Owl hung up on barbed wire that eventually became known as Galileo when he couldn’t be released after rehab and ended up as an education bird for HawkWatch International. It was Sunday and Father’s Day so we were having difficulty making contact with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah (WRCNU) to make arrangements for the injured owl. So of course Jerry came to mind. Mia called him while we were still in the field while I was somewhat frantically driving toward “civilization” and the owl was wrapped in a towel on Mia’s lap.
It turned out that Jerry had just received his devastating ALS diagnosis and he told us about it during that phone call but he’s so tuned in to raptors and their welfare that, despite the emotional trauma he was experiencing, he provided valuable advice as to what we should do with the owl. I’ll never forget it and I’ll never forget Jerry for his incredible raptor knowledge, his willingness to mentor others, his sense of humor and his sometimes brutal frankness.
R.I.P. Jerry Liguori.
Ron
By the way, this book by Jerry is my bible when it comes to raptor ID. Highly recommended.
Ron, late in posting today, I had a colonoscopy today. I love the photos of the Hawk, Very pretty. So sorry for the loss of your friend.
Thanks Trudy. Good for you for… getting it behind you.
Sorry for the loss of your friend and mentor Ron.
Thanks, Gary.
Such sad news and such a huge loss his family and friends, for you and Mia, and for the birding world. I can’t think of a better tribute to Jerry than these gorgeous shots of a Roughie in flight.
Much appreciated, Marty.
Outstanding flight series of photographs.
The world will miss Jerry.
Thanks, Wally.
A wonderful and instructive series.
I have been comparing your photos with both “Hawks At A Distance” and “Hawks From Every Angle”. The photos and descriptions go to it being a male, but they can be a tough species to sex. I really like his writing style; both humble and encouraging for amateur and experienced birders. Extraordinary as well is that he took all the photos, for “Hawks From Every Angle” and most for “Hawks At A Distance”.
5º this morning and the main water line froze. Fortunately, the coffee maker reservoir was full.
Dang Lyle, a frozen water line is no fun. That’s even worse than my oven that died on Christmas Day while I was cooking a ham. The repairman comes tomorrow.
You’ve been having a run of it on things crapping out at inopportune time! 🙁 Worse things to have been cooking than a ham I guess….. 😉
Exactly, Judy. At least the ham was precooked. A turkey would have been another story altogether.
I have tears in my eyes as I type, so sorry to hear of his death but a needed release from a horrible disease.
April, I suspect the last part of your comment is heartbreakingly true.
A gorgeous series of Roughie shots and a wonderful way to memorialize your friend (and a true friend to raptors). I have the HawkWatch “Raptor ID” app—co-authored by Jerry—on my devices, an impressive source of information, including his narrated videos of birds in flight. His passage is a tremendous loss for his family, friends and the raptor world, but sadly, the only release from the torment of that disease. 💔
Chris, one time some years ago when Jerry was with me while we were looking for raptors in the Snowville area he mentioned that he was working hard to develop that raptor ID app. We spent most of the day together in my pickup and that’s when I got to know him best.
I hope he was proud of his effort, as he rightfully should have been. It’s such a great learning/reviewing tool, in the field, on the road, and in the house (on a rainy day, for example).
Wonderful tribute to your friend. I never met Jerry but his book Hawks from Every Angle has been an incredibly important learning tool for me. The birding pages on Facebook this morning are filled with tributes by so many people who knew, admired and loved him. Obviously we’ve lost a giant of a man. I’m so sorry. (Your beautiful Roughy photos are the perfect accompaniment to your words.)
I agree about Hawks From Every Angle, Sharon. Sometimes I find myself searching online for an answer to one of my many raptor ID questions and then I remember Jerry’s book. When I look there the answer is usually right in front of my face.
I am so sorry for the loss of your friend. The world is diminished. I am glad that his pain is over, but ….
And what a fine tribute to him this post is.
Thank you, EC.
Wonderful series. I see Roughies. from time to time each winter but they usually keep their distance.
Thanks for letting us know about Jerry. I didn’t know him personally but certainly well acquainted with his work. He will be deeply missed.
Thank you, Dan. He sure will be.
Excellent series Ron, thanks for sharing!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
A great tribute to Jerry: an inflight series of a magnificent raptor.
Thank you, John.
Love the series Ron! Couldn’t pick out a favorite 😊. I used to be a hospice volunteer and my 2nd client passed from ALS. He was a professor so I read his papers to him. Brutal disease is an understatement. Glad you knew Jerry!
Thank you, Kathleen. “Hospice volunteer” – now that would take fortitude that I simply don’t have…
Was a hospice volunteer for people who chose to pass at home … deeply moving blessed experience with each client. Life changing for me 🙂 Had to give it up when my work required global travel.
Outstanding series. All sharp and all beautiful. I tried to pick out which one I liked best and gave up because they are all so good. If I had to chose one I guess I would go with the very last.
Really sorry to hear about the loss of your friend Jerry. I have a high school friend who lost her adult son to ALS and I know two men here in Prescott who lost their wives to it. A cruel disease for sure.
Everett, Jerry is the third person related to birding that I know of who has succumbed to ALS. It’s a horrible, devastating disease.
All the photos of this beautiful Roughie are a fitting tribute to Jerry, who was also a dedicated photographer along with his focus on raptors. Thanks for letting me know about his death. I treasure his work when hawk watching.
Pam, as I’m sure you know Jerry was both dedicated to photographing raptors and good at it. His raptor photo portfolio must have been huge.
Wonderful series of the Roughy, Ron – the ventral wing markings are a great help in identification…… 🙂
You have my sympathy in the loss of Jerry. A loss for all and yet a blessing – ALS is a horrible way to go. 🙁
Judy, ALS is more common than I used to think it was and it’s always fatal. It’s just an awful disease.
Beautiful photos. I’m sorry for the loss of your friend.
Thank you, Cathy.