Early yesterday morning at dark o’clock I was getting mixed messages from weather forecasters about what the clouds situation on Antelope Island would be after the sun came up. Forecasts ranged from mostly cloudy to partly cloudy to sunny so I decided to throw the dice, leave home for the island in the dark and take my chances.
What I saw when I got there was a mixed bag.
It was partly to mostly cloudy but it sure was a spectacular sunrise. This is looking east toward the Wasatch Mountains at 6:19 AM from a point immediately after I got on the island (where one of the metal bison sculptures is). Farmington Bay, in the middle foreground, has been essentially dry for several years so it sure is good to see water out there again.
The downside from those clouds is that the light for bird photography was iffy at best for the entire 2 1/2 hours I was on the island.
1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 1600, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
It was a Willet kind of morning. Literally everywhere I went I could hear Willets calling, either from elevated perches (mostly large rocks or sagebrush) or in flight. I found this one very soon after I got on the island, just when the filtered sunlight of dawn was beginning to reach the bird. “He’ wasn’t close but I took photos anyway.
He was calling so enthusiastically I decided to shoot one of my patented, amateurish video clips to document his calling – potentially for use in a blog post. In the clip, if you listen carefully, you can hear some of the other Willets calling too. I was hoping that if he took off while I was videoing him he’d at least take off toward me so when he took off mostly away from me you can hear the intense frustration in my exhaled breath. Damn good thing I didn’t cuss.
Here’s a link to the clip.
1/640, f/5.6, ISO 1600, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
The next Willet I found was calling from atop a sagebrush but ‘he’ had his back to me for the entire time I was with him. And even though I didn’t realize it at first, he wasn’t alone.
At some point while I had him in my viewfinder a Western Meadowlark landed about 18″ from him on the sagebrush. The Willet seemed to be ‘talking’ to the meadowlark so…
1/250, f/9, ISO 1600, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
the meadowlark returned the favor by singing for the Willet, almost like the two of them had been buds forever. I never did have enough depth of field to get them both sharp.
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 2500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
After the meadowlark flew off the Willet became a little unstable on his perch for a moment, so he had to use his wings to regain his balance. His instability revealed some of the bold patterns and colors of his wings that are always hidden when their wings are folded.
In a recent blog post I mentioned those bold wing patterns of Willets but the photo in that post didn’t show them so several readers asked to see them. I’m including this photo in my effort to finally comply with their request. Better late than never?
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
I’m including this photo as evidence that I actually photographed some birds other than Willets yesterday. The male Red-winged Blackbird had just taken off from the sagebrush and I caught him in a flight posture I like.
I’ve made a big deal lately about the return of the midges to Great Salt Lake after an absence of several years because of our severe drought and the disappearing lake. Our very wet winter and early spring has resulted in a near-rebirth of the lake (so far) and a welcome resurgence of the midges.
I saw my best evidence of the return of the midges yesterday when there were many distinct columns of hundreds of thousands of midges in flight along the causeway to the island. We call those columns “midge tornadoes” or “midge-nadoes”.
At least I think I’m glad to have them back. I’d washed my pickup the day before so the grill was squeaky clean but this is what it looked like when I got home after driving through all those midges along the causeway. I know from past experience that all those crispy critters on my grill won’t come off easily so I have my work cut out for me.
My very large towing mirrors didn’t fare much better.
But all things considered, including clouds and bugs, I’d say it was a good morning on the island.
Ron
Lovely images and I am so pleased with all the midges, I hope the brine flies can make a comeback too.
So incredibly thankful the lake is rising. I can see it from my perch on the hill in NSL daily. Always the highlight of my day to see your photos. Hope all is well for you.
Lovely post, pal. I do appreciate the video’s with your subject talking to the world. I recognize you are shy about posting them but I don’t hold you to your same self-standards for bird song if that helps 🙂
Great mixed bag post. Beautiful sunrise and a love the meadowlark and willet serenade or maybe a bird sing-off. Wonder who won.
Thanks, Catherine. I suspect the Willet “won”. The meadowlark couldn’t match the sheer volume of the Willet and the meadowlark hightailed it first.
What a fun post – made me smile alot.
Good. Thanks, Kent.
Me too!!!
Ron – forgot to complement the gorgeous sunrise – this is the kind we will start to get as we get into the monsoon season
Thanks, Everett. It didn’t have a lot of color (for a sunrise) but it was still a treat for the eyes.
“Spectacular” is the perfect description for that sunrise shot! Really enjoyed the video — exasperated sigh and all. 😉 The conversation between the Willet and meadowlark is adorable as well.
I do not envy you cleaning your grill and mirrors. I get the same bug-gut issues when I’m driving up to northern CA and go by the dairy and cattle ranches or when I drive in the mountains at dawn and dusk. I always want to take a bunch of Dawn and my BBQ grill brush to tackle them, but I like having paint on my car. 😂 I’ve had some luck with putting wet towels and rags over the worst of the buggage and letting them sit for an hour or so to “rehydrate.”
“I always want to take a bunch of Dawn and my BBQ grill brush to tackle them”
Marty, I’ve been so frustrated when trying to remove them I’ve wanted to use a wire brush on them. I have one attached to a drill bit – that would take care of the little buggers…!
What a lovely morning, enjoyed at a distance! I can almost hear the Meadowlark/Willet duet. And in the video, the Willet’s clacking beak is so interesting, little punctuation marks to its song.
Although they look to be a pain to remove, it is WONDERFUL to see all those bugs on your truck. With the terrible news reports of the astonishing decline in insects over the last few years and what that means for the planet, hooray for the bugs. Our last cross-country trip in 2018, we had maybe 10 bugs on the windshield the whole 3000 miles. It was very disconcerting.
“hooray for the bugs”
Exactly, Carolyn. And for the birds who reap the benefits of their presence.
That sunrise shot is glorious, love to see the light reflected on all that water (also glorious)! Your willets are wonderful and I especially like the meadowlark entertaining a fellow traveler on the sagebrush. The opportunity to enjoy the willet’s musical performance is much appreciated!
Thanks, Chris. Right now, during the morning, the island sounds like a Willet/meadowlark chorus.
I am intrigued to notice that our sunrises are about the same time at this time of year. Yours is a little earlier but not by much. I am hoping that ours will be as spectacular as yours was yesterday.
Loved the video clip and was waiting for the words to follow that frustrated exhalation.
Thank you. As always. And sigh at the car cleaning required.
EC, I’m surprised that the “words to follow” didn’t come out. Most often they do.
Keep in mind that around here the sun has to come up over the mountains before we actually see it. Official sunrise that morning was at 6:10 AM.
Worth the drive and midges for that glorious sunrise!
The meadowlark and the millet singing to each other – icing on the sunrise cake. You have great life my friend 🤗
Thanks, Kathleen. I do, at least some of the time.
Car wash here we come. That is one heck of a lot of bugs. Cars and trucks make bug very expendable. The number of bugs that die each day on even just one highway would be impossible to count.
Love that photo of the Willet with the wings spread. In all my Willet photos I have never seen that. Beautiful.
“In all my Willet photos I have never seen that.”
Everett, our Willets are here during breeding season, and they call from elevated, often precarious perches like sagebrush. So they often use their wings when they lose their balance, which gives photographers like me the opportunity.
Thanks, once again, Ron for sharing your morning with us. Your stories and observations are a gift. I’m no shut-in, but there are long periods of time where I do not get out into the field. So these postings allow me to be out there vicariously. In July, when I retire, I will be doing more of my own journeying, but I will continue to enjoy your work.
Michael, huge congrats on your upcoming retirement! Best thing I’ve ever done and I loved my work so that’s saying something.
Good to see Antelope Island again! What’s the Lake level like? I don’t think you got as much rain as we got in N. Calif.
John, the lake has come up over 4′ since November. They expect it to come up at least another 2′ by the time runoff is over.
Most of our moisture isn’t from rain. It’s from winter snow in the nearby mountains. Alta Ski Resort got over 900″ of snow this winter. Many other mountain areas aren’t far behind Alta. When it melts, that water ends up in the lake.
Beautiful sunrise, wonderful birds, but can I say I’m tired of the midges?? Just thinking about them makes me itch!
“Just thinking about them makes me itch”
How come, Sue? Midges don’t bite or sting. Unlike mosquitoes or gnats they’re completely harmless, unless you’re trying to scrub them off of your vehicle.
And they’re perfect bird food so they’re (mostly) a win-win.
And Happy Birthday!
Sunrise and birdsong. Hard to beat.
The exposures specs are the same on the first two photos of the Willets but dramatically different colors. Did the morning light change thst much?
Removing the midge mess: I don’t think whoever said that one has to suffer for one’s art had that in mind.
“Did the morning light change that much?”
Yes Lyle, that much and that quickly. It’s also a result of the differing angles the bird was turned to the light.
And you’re certainly right about the combination of sunlight and birdsong.
Lyle, I got to thinking about your comment after I responded to it. You were right to ask the question about the light and my image specs. I made an error in my specs for the second Willet photo so I’ve now made the correction.
Beautiful sunrise indeed! 🙂 The colors under the wings of the Willet ARE beautiful! Fun with the Willet and Meadowlark……..VBG Definitely “buggie” out! Don’t evvy you getting those off your pickup.
Judy, no matter how hard I scrub I can never get all of them off in one try. Bird poop and bug guts seem to be almost semi-permanent.
I’d SAY you had a good morning on the island ! Just that little sound bite
with many willets calling was beautiful, as was the sunrise sky–
clouds ( much as you wish they weren’t there ) are necessary for the most glorious and interesting sunrise and sunset photos, at least I think so……
Thanks, Kris. I wish I could take videos that weren’t shaky but with my rig I just can’t.