Including what I call a “peekaboo shot”.
1/5000, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Nine days ago at Bear River MBR this drake Northern Shoveler took off from one part of the pond in front of me and flew a short distance (perhaps 100′) to another part of the same pond. I didn’t get any photos of him right at liftoff but I managed to acquire focus on him in mid-flight and get some shots I like.
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1/5000, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This one’s a little different but I have a fondness for what I call “peekaboo shots”. It may or may not float your boat.
1/5000, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Here he’s already beginning to lose elevation just prior to landing in the water amongst a group of other shovelers. I like the almost full extension of his backswept wings.
I was fortunate enough to get 21 sharp shots of him in flight but of course I couldn’t post them all. There’s such a thing as too much of a good thing so I chose three of them that appealed to me.
Ron
That drake looks pudgy. He must be feeding well.
Maybe the hens like’m fat this time of year… 🙂
My boat is floated.
Good! Thanks, EC.
Beautiful.
Thanks, April.
I very much like the peekaboo shot but likely for different reasons than most. As an educator about birds this is a perfect shot to use when teaching about flight. People often think the wings just move up and down and this shot illustrates how far forward the wings move in the “down stroke”. It’s that forward motion the generates lift, not simply down. I also have a fondness for behavior and action shots so this is a wonderful series.
Good point about the educational value of the peekaboo shot, Dan.
Beautiful shots, Ron. 🙂 Spring had definitely “sprung”…
4 Grackles have shown up – interesting as it’s enough to keep the Magpies away from the area near the bird feeder. Perhaps they remember the disaster with their nest a year or so ago that the Grackles kept them from/made it difficult for them to get to?
Glad you like them, Judy.
Interesting about your magpies and grackles. I guess I’m a little surprised that grackles could keep magpies away from their nest. But birds have surprised me before, many times.
Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but I like the slight difference in his eye/facial expression between the first/third photos. Anticipation/extra focus in the first, a tiny relaxation “I made it” in the third. And I do like the peekaboo. Those orange feet tucked in tight are pretty neat, too.
Carolyn, the intestines of Northern Shovelers are the same color as their feet and I have photos to prove it. More than you wanted to know, I’m sure.
That’s really fascinating! Did you dissect one to discover this, or an in-the-field example? Orange feet/orange intestines – that is so cool!
Carolyn, I have photos of a Prairie Falcon disemboweling a shoveler. But I just went back and looked at one of them and I was wrong. Shoveler intestines are more pink than orange. Shockingly pink but still pink.
Love ’em all. Great captures with super sharpness and superb coloration. Look forward to your gifts every day – thanks.
Thank you, Burrdoo.
Would not mind seeing them all, but those three are super. One of my favorites, but all gone here and probably up there joining yours.
Also say hi to my Northern Harrier female who always heads north for the summer. She may be visiting you there.
Thanks, Everett. Sadly I’m not seeing many harriers these days. This morning, in an area where I used to regularly see quite a few of them, I only saw one. A Gray Ghost.
But I’ll keep an eye out for your female…
The Shoveler’s colors are just spectacular…….what you call a “peekaboo” shot reminds me of what used to be called a
“fandancer” in the burlesque shows of long ago ( except those
“fans” were strictly NON-functional ). I prefer the birds’ beautiful versions !
“except those “fans” were strictly NON-functional”
Kris, seems to me that they were functional in hiding some stuff… 🙂
Cannot say I am a fan of all peekaboo shots. But this one really works with that standout eye color.
Hard to pick a favorite between the first and third shots. The first has the water droplets which tells the story of a recent takeoff, whereas the third has the lovely full wing extension.
Agree. Should not post them all. Picking what to post is all part of the artistic process.
“Picking what to post is all part of the artistic process.”
Michael, it’s also a big part of the work and angst of publishing a post like this one. I think it took me longer to choose which shots to post out of the 21 than it did for me to process the chosen photos and write the post.