I’ve been perplexed and curious about something I watched this pelican do for over six years now. But the purpose I tentatively propose for the behavior I documented in these photos seems more than a little far fetched so I’ve never brought it up. Until now.
After twelve years of photographing birds and paying particular attention to their behaviors it isn’t every day that I witness a ritualized aggressive behavior that’s new to me. But it happened yesterday at Bear River MBR with a couple of Great Blue Herons, seemingly on steroids.
Any bird photographer who thinks they’re skilled at tracking birds in flight should attempt to photograph hummingbird aerial combat. It’s a humbling experience.
It’s that time of year folks, Sage Grouse are displaying on the lek. But photographers had best be prepared for extreme changes in lighting conditions and action from the displaying and fighting males.
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