Lots of action involving three raptors of two different species and there I sat with a new camera whose buttons and dials were unfamiliar to me.
Talk about pressure to learn a new camera.
1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Two days ago in a remote area of northern Utah I was lucky to spot this adult Bald Eagle on a cliff on the ‘wrong’ (right) side of my vehicle because my view of him was mostly blocked by the roof of my pickup. I barely saw ‘him’ out of the corner of my eye so I drove further down the dirt road, turned around, and hoped he’d still be there when I returned. He was.
This is the same eagle I posted a photo of yesterday. The shooting angle is different because at this point I was further away from him because I thought he might spook if I got any closer. Thankfully he accepted my presence but for most of the time he sure wouldn’t cooperate by looking my way. All I could see was the back of his head but finally he turned his head so I could see his face and eye.
I thought he was looking at me but I was wrong. He’d spotted… incoming.
1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
It was a Rough-legged Hawk with mischief on its mind. The first time the hawk buzzed the eagle a few minutes earlier I missed the shot but this time I got it.
I like the way the hawk’s wings frame the eagle.
1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
When I first pulled up on the adult eagle I didn’t even notice this immature Bald Eagle perched on another outcrop on the cliff to my right. Apparently the two eagles had been traveling together but they must not have been all that fond of each other’s company because they were perched about 75′ apart.
After photographing the eagles for a while I decided to see if I could get a better shooting angle on them by driving further down the road and a little closer to both birds.
1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Thankfully both of them stuck and this shooting angle gave me something in the background of the younger eagle other than blue sky.
I didn’t know it at the time but when I took this photo the eagle had spotted ‘incoming’ too – the same Roughie was approaching from behind me. Soon after I took this photo I swung my lens around to photograph the adult again and that’s when I spotted the Roughie screaming in for an attack on the young eagle.
1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
When I took this shot my lens was still moving so the photo is soft but I did manage to get both birds in the frame, barely. The reaction of the younger eagle to an attack was much less nonchalant than that of the adult. This eagle nearly fell off its perch.
1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
The Roughie circled around and came back so in a couple of photos I managed to get both birds in the frame. After this shot the hawk disappeared behind the small mountain in the background.
1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Then I turned my attention back to the adult. This is the photo I posted yesterday. The adult is looking over his shoulder because… you guessed it, he’d spotted incoming again.
1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
It was the same Roughie making a pest of itself. Once again the more experienced adult eagle barely batted an eye.
The Roughie made a total of five attacks on the two eagles and I got three of them (one of them just barely) which I thought was an acceptable success rate given my unfamiliarity with my new camera.
Both eagles stayed on the cliffs for a long time but eventually the younger bird took off. I stayed with the adult for a while longer but he wasn’t doing much so I left him in peace to look for other birds.
Which I never found.
Ron
Wonderful series, Ron. 0277 is my absolute favorite. Amazing capture of a swoop and the reaction. The Roughie is one brave, persistent little bird! You and your new camera is doing a fine job
Bored Roughie=bad egg. Lol
Your quality output belies any complaints about a steep learning curve with the R5! These are fabulous shots.
That Roughie is sure making a nuisance out of himself, isn’t he?
He was, Marty. And unless I’m mistaken he was thoroughly enjoying it.
Looks good, I like the action with the roughie. I am eating up all the camera info so keep adding it. I won’t have the same lens you have but will have the R5 body at some point in the future. On the 7DMII I have the auto focus shifted to the back button and only the shutter release on my shutter button, can the R5 be set up similarly? That will be big adjustment for me if not.
“can the R5 be set up similarly?”
Yes April, that’s how I have mine set up. It’s called back button AF.
See, my confidence in your skillz is well-placed, these are wonderful images, especially the Baldie “framed” by the Roughie, but also the hawk attack on the juvenile — that youngster’s expression is priceless! (I do wonder if the juvenile is related to the adult eagle, why they could stand to be in each other’s presence, though distant from one another…?)
I wondered the same thing, Chris. I tried to look it up on Cornell’s Birds of the World but they make no mention of youngsters sticking around their parents for anywhere near this long so I suspect these two birds are not parent and offspring.
Wonderful group of pictures you took with the new camera. I am glad you got a work out first thing. Nothing like a little pressure to show your skills.
Trudy, a “work out” is a good way to put it. It was pressure-packed but still fun.
Such a master visual story teller! That last shot is majestic!
Thank you, Kellie.
It appears your years of honing your photographic skills are really shortening the learning curve on the new camera.
While looking at these photos I realized something I suppose I already should have. Some raptors have yellow eyes when immature and turn brown as adults like the Sharp-shinned Hawk and it’s the opposite for others like the Bald Eagle. I don’t know that I would have noticed that without coming to FP every day.
Lyle, it pays to pay attention and you certainly do.
I dunno, the learning curve still in front of me is nothing short of intimidating, especially when I realize that what I learn has to become embedded into my muscle memory – which takes time. But I’ll try.
I absolutely love these shots!
I can’t get over how disinterested the eagle was in the Roughie.
Thanks, Dick. He sure wasn’t worried.
It won’t take a pro like you very long to master that new camera. Everything is looking good so far. I really like the one with the Roughie’s wings framing the eagle. I see these harassing flights often. Our resident female Harrier at Willow Lake buzzes all other raptors there. The other day I saw a single Raven dive bombing a single eagle. The eagle put up with it for almost ten dives before he got really pissed off and rose up and chased it. The Ravens love to harass the eagles especially.
Everett, the harassing behavior of harriers and raven’s you describe is pretty much what I see from them here. Especially the harriers.
WOW! 🙂 VERY good shots and new camera to boot! Even if soft I love the hawk buzzing the immature. 🙂 The first shot with the hawk framing the eagle is also wonderful. Background and critters also worked – camera and user doing well! 🙂
“Even if soft I love the hawk buzzing the immature”
That’s my theory too, Judy. I’ve learned that a photo doesn’t have to be technically perfect to work for documentation purposes. But the flaws of that shot push the limits…
What great drama! I love the expression of the young baldie. She’s not used to being at the top of the pecking order yet! Have fun getting to know your new camera. I look forward to seeing the results.
Thank you, Sheila. I’m not sure how much “fun” is involved in learning a new camera but there should be more of it when I know it better.
OMG, Ron – SO AWESOME!!! You had your own version of the Battle of the Titans!! Just so enjoyed you post today. You should pat yourself on your back considering you did all this with a new camera!! So happy for you!!
“You should pat yourself on your back considering you did all this with a new camera”
I sure could have done worse with the new camera but I could have done better too. It rankles me that I screwed up the shot of the hawk attacking the immature eagle. Thank you, Jo Ann.
What a wonderful series of photos–both for the behavior you captured and
for the colors and textures– I especially liked the shale perch with the lichen–
that orange color is such a good foil for the bright blue sky, and they frame
the elegant dark browns and whites of the birds to great advantage !
Kris, I’m a huge fan of lichens in my photos. For these photos I had to expose for the darker birds so the rocks and lichens are just a little bright but not bad.