Including my first Bald Eagle of this migration season.
Two days ago, on the same morning I photographed the Common Raven I posted a photo of yesterday, I didn’t have a lot of luck getting close to birds but I found and photographed several interesting ones. Because I wasn’t close, none of the photos below are of high quality (all have been cropped significantly or massively) but they document some birds that I was more than happy to find.
This Pine Siskin was the first bird I photographed that morning. It had been 15 months since I’d photographed a siskin and I usually find them in the mountains so I was pleasantly surprised to find this one in the low country.
The siskin stayed on this twig for about 20 seconds so I got lots of photos of it but this head turn was about the only pose variety the little rascal gave me.
Nineteen minutes later, in the same general area, I spotted two ravens perched on top of a high cliff so I approached them and it was at that point that my marathon of frustration began as I attempted to photograph some of the 45-50 ravens in flight that eventually showed up to play in the thermals in front of the cliff.
While I was concentrating on the ravens in flight, an unexpected visitor flew in and landed on top of the same cliff that the two ravens had been on.
I didn’t see ‘him’ land on the cliff top while I was concentrating on the ravens so I don’t know how long he’d been there before I spotted him. He was far away and high above me and at first I thought he was a Red-tailed Hawk. But when he turned his head in profile and gave me a good look at his bill, I realized that he was an immature, second year Bald Eagle. At that distance, size is hard to judge.
The vast majority of our Bald Eagles are migratory and only here in winter. This guy was the first one I’d seen this winter.
So there I was, torn between aiming my lens at the eagle or at the hordes of ravens flying in front of the same cliff. I ended up alternating between them.
I fully expected the ravens to mob the eagle but that never happened. Occasionally one of the ravens would fly close enough to the eagle for me to get both birds in the frame but that only happened by chance, because there were so many ravens in the air. I never once saw a raven act aggressively toward the eagle, who mostly ignored the ravens.
For some reason, in this shot the raven looks to be a little too large relative to the size of the eagle but that must be only a matter of depth, perspective and perception.
I spent over a half hour waiting for the eagle to take off, or for some aggressive action to occur between the perched eagle and the ravens, but neither ever happened so eventually I drove on down the road to look for other birds. I’d already taken nearly a thousand photos of the eagle and the ravens and I was dreading the image-culling job ahead of me.
35 minutes later, as my morning of shooting was coming to an end, I approached some utility poles where I’d seen an extremely skittish Prairie Falcon on my previous two trips to the area. I didn’t expect to find the falcon in the same area three times in a row…
but I did.
“She’ was perched atop one of the utility poles on top of a hill far from the road so this photo has been massively cropped. But it documents a Prairie Falcon, a species I haven’t photographed for the last ten months.
On my previous trips she’d always flown off before I got closer than about 250 yards from her so at least this time she allowed me to document her presence. I’ve still got a long way to go with her but I’m finally making some progress.
Ron
I loved the photos and the story. Fantastic. Thanks for posting.
I love all of the photos, Ron! What an interesting variety. I can’t decide which is my favorite. Thanks for all your effort and for the smiles.
Much appreciated, Melanie.
Nice to know there are a few out and about. There is a bald eagle nest in that area. I wounder if they were successful raising young this year.
Good question about the nesting eagles, April. I don’t know.
What an excellent morning. I am quite sure that your smile was wide and face splitting.
I love them all but it is the Pine siskin with its yellow speed stripe that intrigues me most – though that many ravens would have me enthralled and probably most unattractively with my jaw dropped.
Thanks, EC. Yeah, it was smile-inducing to find all three of these birds, tempered by the fact that I couldn’t get close to any of them. And by my frustrations with photographing the ravens in flight.
Score! All birds you haven’t seen in awhile (or, with ravens, in such quantity) so that must have warmed the cockles of your heart! We’re very happy for you, and definitely happy you were able to find these great shots amongst the thousand(s) you took! PRFA is my fav, falcons have a look I just adore! ♥️
Thanks, Chris. It’s hard to not have some extra affection for Prairie Falcons. In my experience they’re the most difficult of our falcons to approach so when it happens it’s extra rewarding.
Good work, Ron! 🙂 The eagles can be deceptive – the difference in their actual size and their perceived size from a distance always amazes me. The Prairie Falcon is great. Haven’t seen any Pine Siskins in awhile when I think about it.
Thanks, Judy. I’ve seen far more siskins in MT than I have around here.
From tiny to giant, what a neat group of birds. The bill on the eagle is as big as the pine siskin!
The raven photo from yesterday was wonderful – I’m still trying to imagine what you were seeing, so many soaring!
And to find the prairie falcon in the same spot again, serendipity 😊
Serendipity indeed, Carolyn. I hope she hangs around all winter.
Just like the old days! Keep them coming!
John, not as many, and not as close, as in the old days but it’s a start. Hopefully of a trend…
Excellent shot of the Prairie Falcon. Too bad it had to be a pole. I hate that, but like you, still take the shot. Surprised as I am sure you were that the Ravens did not harass the Eagle as they so often do. Once I was taking photos of a pair of Eagles high up on a snag and then happened to see three Ravens about a hundred yards away and knew they would be coming, and they immediately headed for the Eagles. Eagles tried to ignore them for awhile, but the female tired of their harassing and went after them. Fun to watch. Really nice photo of the Pine Sisken.
Happy Veteran’s Day to all the vets who follow FP.
Thanks, Everett. I was just about as confident as I could be that the ravens would mob the eagle. So I was really surprised when it never happened, especially over such a long period of time with so many ravens in the air.
Three great catches there.
Unmistakable profile on that eagle.
That Prairie Falcon is just gorgeous.
Thanks, Michael. I wish I could find Prairie Falcons more often. Like many raptors they seem to be in decline.