The sound of little wings gave him away.
Yesterday morning while I had a far-away hawk in my viewfinder I kept hearing the excited calling of multiple Say’s Phoebes coming from a rocky cove that was about 150′ in front of me. I couldn’t see them and even if I could they were much too far away for photography, so I concentrated on the hawk in case it did something interesting.
Suddenly I heard the sound of little wings coming from the rabbitbrush right outside my pickup window.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
It was one of the phoebes who had spotted small insects on and flying above the rabbibrush. ‘He’ was hunting them so he’d land for a few seconds until he spotted one and then he’d go after it. If the insect was flying he’d take off and attempt to snag it right out of the air (a type of insect-hunting called “hawking”.). If the insect was on the rabbitbrush he’d go after it there.
He completely ignored me, even though I was close.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
He landed on different rabbitbrush plants four different times but only twice did he stay long enough for me to get him in focus. This photo was taken the second time.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
The rabbitbrush was flexible and springy enough that it slowed him down a little when he took off so this time I managed to get…
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
two photos of him lifting off. After a different takeoff I got four photos of him in full flight but I was disappointed when all four turned out to be soft.
Them’s the breaks in bird photography.
Ron
Note:
Even though I was out in the middle of nowhere I had two interesting encounters with humans yesterday morning. One was with a sheriff who stopped to check out what I was doing. My pool noodle ‘lens rest’ on my window resembles a makeshift rifle rest so law enforcement (cops of various kinds, including wildlife law officers) sometimes check me out pretty carefully to see if I’m a poacher. He turned out to be a nice guy, so we jawboned about birds and deer and photography for about 15 minutes. He also told me about a female bird photographer he’d encountered earlier that was coming our way. I told him I probably knew who it was, and I was right.
A few minutes later, there she was – it was my good friend, blog follower and bird rehabber April Olson. So April and I jabbered for another 10 minutes or so. Usually I don’t like to stop and talk to folks when I’m photographing birds (birds nearly always come first) but for April, and for a friendly sheriff, I’ll make exceptions.
I have no idea what a sheriff was doing in such a remote area – he didn’t tell me and I didn’t ask.
Of all the exceptional photos* I’ve seen on this site that third one I find–for some reason–simply above and beyond. The combination of the unusual posture, sharp focus detail on both the bird and the perch and overall composition immediately drew my eye. The next one after that shares nearly all those qualities but is a more conventional (typical?) take-off view and so–to me–slightly less engaging.
*(Really, I can’t remember coming across ANY unexceptional ones!)
Thank you very much, Jim. That third one’s my favorite too, for the reasons you mention.
I think he reached up like that to take off for two reasons – there was vegetation directly in front of him he had to get over and the twig he was on was flexible so he didn’t get much push-off from it when he launched.
Wonderful series…sassy-looking little guy…
Thank you, Patty.
*Love* these photos, especially the second one (and the third, not to mention the first and last). I was going to ask if these were young birds because I think I see a bit of yellow gape, esp. in the second photo, and then April mentioned she had just released three juveniles. I wonder if these were the birds she released? (I too read every day but rarely comment – but I am appreciative of every post you make and the things I learn with each post. ~ thank you!)
What a little charmer. Two pleasant interactions with other people was icing on the cake.
I do love the subtleties of lbj’s. Thank you.
Thank you, EC.
“Them’s the breaks” in general… it seems.
And, gosh, i enjoy reading your blogs each day, Ron. Many thanks for all of them. (I apologize for not commenting much, although in my mind I am.)
No need to comment, Nina (although I do enjoy them.) Most of my readers don’t. It’s just nice to know you’re ‘out there’.
Lol! I just returned home this morning from releasing three Say’s Phoebe juveniles. We took them out along the Jordan River not too far from you. They came a few blocks from this area.
These photos are beautiful.
It was nice to see you yesterday. I have not been out in that area for about a year. We have a Swain’s hawk ready to go and I wanted to scope out an area. Also since the area had a good amount of rain the day before and the night time temperatures dropped I was sure there would be ground fog. I love the morning light shinning on the fog and the combination of Venus Belt and early sun rise with the fog. I was a truly stunning morning. I had 2 sheriffs stop by me. A younger guy who went off to the right when the road split and then the same one you talked with a bit later. I wonder what was going on in the area. I have never seen so many cars on the road, especially on Sunday. The cars were not the usual trucks, but little economy cars with California plates and college age adults.
I have not processed my photos or even taken them off the card yet. That is my plan for this afternoon.
Swainson’s Hawk. Spell correct changed it and I did not notice.
April, there was a lot more ground fog in that area at dawn and soon after. It was pretty neat looking.
A very colorful and handsome bird which I have never seen.
I’m surprised the cop didn’t ask about your license plate. Aren’t they supposed to notice those things?
“Aren’t they supposed to notice those things?”
I have no doubt that he noticed it, Lyle. Maybe he actually knew what a harrier was so when he saw my big lens he put two and two together.
Nice photos of that Say’s Phoebe! We still see one at our desert cabin in Landers CA, and hear their plaintive call, when one arrives to do a little bug catching from the eave or tree.
They’re good at the bug-catching, aren’t they Barbara
What very long legs!
Yup.
Like that last one.
We have these birds seasonally. Love hearing their sweet plaintive calls in the neighborhood.
Would have never made the connection of the pool noodle to a rifle rest.
“Would have never made the connection of the pool noodle to a rifle rest.”
Apparently they do, Michael. And there’s a lot of poaching in Utah so they probably watch for clues like that.
Neat! Such fun for the phoebe to get close enough and out in the open for you to get some shots! 🙂 “Soft” or not they’re great IMO! Last one is REALLY cool.
Suspect they may have been having some poaching issues in the area or things are REALLY slow for the sheriff to be out there. Would not have thought of the noodle making a decent rifle rest! Glad you and April met up and she’s able to get out there a bit…… 🙂
Judy, he told me he was enjoying his early morning coffee while driving through a remote, largely natural area that he enjoyed. But I suspect he had an official purpose being there…
Hi Ron. Thanks for the pix. My favorite bird! Such lyrical flight, the lovely call! They are attentive parents , too. Seems your photos encourage readers to take a closer look at a beautiful bird they might pass over as unremarkable.
“Seems your photos encourage readers to take a closer look at a beautiful bird they might pass over as unremarkable.”
I hope so, Kate.
Maybe a tad soft Ron, but still very interesting and colorful photos of one of our most active birds. They hang out on our back fence and seem to be almost always in motion. They fly off the fence and down to the golf course, then back up, and then off again repeatedly. I am so used them being close by that I almost never take a photo of one when I am out. We had a pair that were feeding their young on the fence a couple years back that gave me some adorable photos.
Thanks, Everett. I’ll photograph a Say’s Phoebe every chance I get.
What a lovely little bird ! First time I’ve seen one, and I appreciate the mention of a friendly sheriff who takes his job to heart……your focus
( literally! ) this morning reminds me that wholesome and unglamorous things of the world deserve much more attention — their quiet presence is reassuring and affirmative—and I too often neglect to “see” them –thanks for
the reminder……
Well said, Kris.
Wonderful. I’m glad the sheriff and his department cared enough to check things out.
Kathy, he was nice about it. Just doing his job, which I’m glad of.
Stunning photographs of a beautiful bird that many would write-off as just a “LBJ”. A moniker that is rarely if ever appropriate.
Thanks, David. I agree.