I often photograph Bald Eagles in Utah during winter but for me those images have a different mood (for lack of a better word) because they’re often taken near urban environments and for me they don’t convey the feeling of wildness that I so love about the Centennial Valley. And I very seldom get anything “green” in my Utah Bald Eagle images taken in winter.
I started thinking about Sandhill Cranes for this post because a few days ago I drove through some of the mountain valleys in the Wasatch Range where I usually see these birds this time of year and they seemed to be totally absent. I hope that was just a happenstance of observation and not an actual fact. Earlier this spring I did see a lot of them migrating through.
Yesterday morning just after sunrise I was driving slowly on an isolated and deserted road looking for birds when I encountered a male Northern Harrier hunting along the road edge as it flew in the same direction I was traveling.
With its wings folded the plump, drab-plumaged Willet is brown and inconspicuous but a remarkable transformation takes place when those wings are opened.
Yesterday I was able to get a shot of a Western Meadowlark that may be one of my favorite images of a songbird in flight. But there’s a potential flaw that niggles at me…
Photographing birds as they take off is tricky but with a little luck and perseverance it can be done. Landing shots are much more difficult and often require creative innovation.
Sandhill Cranes are exceedingly graceful in flight, especially when it’s a mated pair flying in tight formation. Pair-bonded cranes often seem to enjoy flying as close to each other as possible.
Two years ago this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk hunted the same area of Antelope Island for much of the summer.
I believe this to be a perspective on a landing raptor that one seldom sees in a photograph. It may not be to everyone’s taste but I found it interesting nonetheless.
These large geese are very impressive up close, especially during their mating rituals.
Wind can be an issue when photographing birds in flight but at times it can also be your friend.
