flight – Page 66 – Feathered Photography

Nesting Osprey Of Flaming Gorge

There’s lots of great Osprey photos “out there” but sadly none of them are mine. I’ve tried with this species time and again and something has always gone wrong – crappy perches, poor light, couldn’t get close and most often I couldn’t even find the birds. But recently I finally got some shots of them I like. As I mentioned in an earlier post Mia and I spent three days at Flaming Gorge this week. I was delighted to find a nesting pair of Osprey as I’ve had very little luck with this species in the past. The nest was on a nesting platform right next to a boat-launching ramp so the birds were used to human traffic and went about their normal routine even with vehicles, boats and fishermen in the vicinity. There were no chicks yet but they were obviously incubating eggs. 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc One bird of the pair was always on the nest of course but occasionally the other Osprey would fly by very close and then immediately leave again – it seemed to me that it was “just checking up” to make sure that everything was ok at the nest. I believe this bird is the male. Sexing Osprey can be tricky but on average males have fewer (if any) dark markings on chin, breast and sides of neck than do females. You’ll see what I think is the female of the pair a couple of images later. 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Another shot of the male…

Barn Owl In Flight

Despite the simple gray background this is one of my favorite shots of a Barn Owl in flight. 1/2000, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Getting a catch light in a Barn Owl in flight is no easy task due to their reluctance to fly in good light and their deeply set eyes. This is one of my few shots where the early morning sun was low enough and its angle on the bird’s eye was just right to provide not only light in the eye but a good strong catch light. The presence or absence of a catch light can make or break an image and I’m very glad I got one here. Ron

Just A Shot That I Like… #26 – Rough-legged Hawk In Flight With Prey

I’ve been lucky in the past to get some nice shots of Short-eared Owls in flight carrying prey but my luck with hawks in the same situation has been abysmal. Whenever the opportunity does present itself it’s usually when the hawk has taken off away from me so all I get is another butt shot with the head and eye hidden. 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc These birds typically want to take off into the wind and on this day the wind direction was just right so that the hawk didn’t fly away from me as it lifted off. So I got good light, an acceptable wing position and even a nice look at the vole with its eye visible. Ron

The Swainson’s Hawks Are Finally Back

This morning we headed north once again in quest of Golden Eagles. We found a few but they were too far away for decent photographs. The consolation prize was this cooperative Swainson’s Hawk – our first of the season which delighted us. In fact there were two of them, hanging out in the same general area. 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4 This bird was particularly fond of a couple of telephone poles in northern Box Elder County. Here it is returning to the pole after leaving it for a short and unsuccessful hunting foray. I’m not particularly happy with the wire and insulator but I liked the landing pose. 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4 Sometimes this hawk perched on the top of the pole but one time it landed on the second wire strung below the first one. Here it is taking off from that position with the pole directly out of frame to the left. I like the dynamics of the take-off in contrast to the greater concentration demanded during landing. 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4 I got a few shots of the hawk in full flight with legs tucked away cleanly. 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4 Another take-off and for this one I had to clone out a small bit of the wire at lower left. Cloning is something I don’t like to do but I do succumb to the temptation occasionally in certain situations. A judgement call… 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4 I was…

Caspian Tern In Undignified Flight Pose

This one’s just for fun. Occasionally I just need a little “silly” in my world… 1/1250, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I had been trying all morning to catch a Caspian or Forster’s Tern with a fish as it emerged from the water when this Caspian decided to give a vigorous shake in flight to rid itself of a huge water load. This was a difficult exposure and I wish I’d had just a bit more shutter speed for the action but liked the goofy flight posture and flying water. Ron

A Recent Potpourri Of Birds From Antelope Island

Antelope Island always has an interesting mix of birds for the photographer and birder. During the winter months raptors are one of the primary attractions for me but soon after the cold months are over they begin to thin out and the migrating spring birds begin to appear. The last several weeks have been in transition with fewer raptors but many migrating species are beginning to show up – in addition to the many year-round residents on the island. With this post I thought I’d present a few shots from the past week or so as a small representation of some of the common birds right now. 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Black-billed Magpies are year-round residents of the island and they’re in a nesting frenzy right now which allows for some interesting opportunities for the photographer. This bird is landing on a bush very near its nest. 1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 Springtime is my favorite season to photograph Chukars because they’re all dolled out in fresh plumage and they’re very approachable when they’re calling from rocks. For much of the rest of the year they spend their time scurrying around in the vegetation and it’s quite difficult to get a clean shot. This one was calling with a lot of enthusiasm! 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Some of the Loggerhead Shrikes also remain on the island year-round but their numbers increase noticeably in spring. 1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc It’s always a treat when the Long-billed Curlews return to…

Shutter Speed and Take-off Shots

Just a single image today, to illustrate a lesson I’ve learned before but “relearned” yesterday. I shoot lots of birds at take-off, particularly raptors. For those larger subjects relatively slow shutter speeds will usually freeze the motion, even in the wings. Typically, 1/1200 or 1/1600 will do just that. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, cloned out an OOF sunflower stalk to the right of the bird So yesterday after I’d taken a few perched shots of this shrike I set up for a take-off since it was facing to my right and I figured it would take off in that direction, giving me both good light and a take-off posture that would require relatively little depth of field so f/5.6 would suffice. Then I noticed that I had a shutter speed of 1/3200 and I remember thinking that might be a little excessive and I should dial back to f/ 6.1 for slightly more DOF and less shutter speed. But I knew that if I took a moment to change my settings the bird would choose that instant to launch and I’d miss the shot. So I stuck with my settings. I’m glad I did. Wing motion in these little birds is incredibly fast! Here, even 1/3200 didn’t completely freeze the wings. Don’t get me wrong – a little motion blur in wings of birds in flight isn’t an issue with me and I’m perfectly happy with this image the way it is. But for my tastes I’m glad there’s no more motion blur than there is. Ron

Just A Shot That I Like…#24 – Western Bluebird Taking Off

I’ve always been a sucker for unusual poses and flight postures. 1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 800, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This female Mountain Bluebird had been flitting around in the brush all morning while looking for cicadas to feed her brood. I didn’t have much light for the shot (I was surprised to get a catch light) and there’s a lot going on in the background but for me the wing and tail position and the somewhat unusual angle of take-off helped to make up for it. I’m sure looking forward to spending more time with these birds up north this summer. Ron

Short-eared Owl Hunting From A Post

We were driving out of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge on our way home when we spotted this Short-eared Owl perched on a large double post at the top of a long, grinding hill. I was pulling the camping trailer so we made a lot of racket and raised a huge cloud of dust on the gravel road so I figured there was no chance this bird would let that big noisy rig close enough for decent shots. But it did – though just barely. 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Here it was trying to decide if we were enough of a potential threat to fly off but soon it relaxed and seemed to accept our presence. 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Almost immediately the owl began to scour the slope to the right for potential prey. 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc When it spotted something it took off… 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc gained speed as it descended down the relatively steep slope… 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc and this is the last decent shot I got as it got close to the grasses and I lost focus on the bird. 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc But the owl obviously liked that post as a hunting platform and almost immediately returned to it (though these last shots are from an earlier sequence). It very quickly spotted what was probably…

Meadowlark Take-off

Just a single image this time. While photographing magpies at their nest this morning this cheeky Western Meadowlark had the gall to land right next door to the nest for a few seconds before it took off again. 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, f00 f/4 I’d taken the teleconverter off for the larger magpies so it’s a bit of a heftier crop than I’d prefer and I wish I had a little more room up top for composition. And there’s some “stuff” in front of the bird but despite all that I liked the shot anyway. These meadowlarks are beginning to sing up a storm out on the island. Ron

Swainson’s Hawk

A recent comment on this blog by Mike Shaw reminded me that I’ve never made a Swainson’s Hawk blog post. Part of the reason is because I’ve had relatively few opportunities with them so my files are limited. But in reviewing my images I thought I had enough acceptable photos to make a representative post on the species. I’ve deliberately chosen shots that show these hawks from a variety of angles – front, back, side and in flight. 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I found this young bird hunting grasshoppers along a gravel road at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. It would catch a ‘hopper, eat it on the road and then return to a nearby fencepost to watch for more of them. The bird seemed to be fearless and paid me very little attention. 1/1200, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4 Occasionally it would land on a different post but it didn’t stray far for quite a while. With this pose we get a good look at the back side. 1/1600, f/8, ISO 320, 500 f/4 I thought this screaming pose was interesting enough to include here despite the nictitating membrane partially covering the eye and the slight tightness on the tail. 1/1000, f/8, ISO 320, 500 f/4 This is a different bird and I include the image for the good look at the underside plumage patterns in flight. 1/1600, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I found this cooperative adult at Farmington Bay Wildlife…

Just A Shot That I Like… #11, Bald Eagle In A Dramatic Flight Posture

It’s getting to be that time of year again – Bald Eagle time in Utah! As is typical for this season their numbers in the state are increasing every day. Eagle populations in Utah peak in January and February before many of them start heading north again. 1/1000, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4 Though it appears as if this bird was about to snag a fish from the water surface in reality it was simply coming in for a landing on the shore, just out of frame to the lower right. I like the light on the eagle and the overall flight posture. I’m looking forward to freezing my butt off again this winter while photographing these very impressive birds. Ron

Just A Shot That I Like… #10 – Prairie Falcon In Flight, With Duck Kill

This morning was cold and very windy out on Antelope Island and most of the birds seemed to have taken refuge from the freezing gale so as we left the island I figured it would be one of those relatively rare days when I had been photographically “skunked”. But as is so often the case, the island had a pleasant last-minute surprise in store for me. 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This Prairie Falcon had apparently killed a duck (which I believe to be a Northern Shoveler) and was trying to defend it from two marauding ravens so the falcon decided to haul the shoveler off to a more private and secluded dining area. That turned out to be an unfortunate decision as very soon after this photo was taken a Bald Eagle flew in and forced the falcon to drop the duck. The eagle flew down to the ice, retrieved the duck and nonchalantly flew off with it. The wing and back of the duck are covered with snow/ice crystals. The out of focus lighter “blobs” in the lower background are whitecaps on the Great Salt Lake. This falcon is the same bird I photographed a little over a month ago and posted here. I know that to be the case because the same wing covert is askew in both birds (though it can’t be seen in this image). I’ve now been able to photograph this falcon on four different occasions in the last few weeks. What a treat! Ron

Just A Shot That I Like… #6 – Short-eared Owl In Flight With Prey

Sometimes conditions are marginal at best for avian photography and that often seems to be the case for me when I’m presented with an otherwise wonderful opportunity. Then the decision must be made – go ahead and shoot anyway, knowing it’s likely that I won’t get any keepers or just pack it in and watch and enjoy the birds? 1/640, f/5.6, ISO 800, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, noise reduction to background Such was the case with this Short-eared Owl at Montana’s rugged and remote Centennial Valley. It was an overcast day and there generally wasn’t enough light for photographing birds in flight but this male was regularly delivering voles to his family and would occasionally fly right by me as he did so. I could have removed my teleconverter to get a little more shutter speed but then the owl would be quite small in the frame so I just decided to fire away and hope for the best. Even at ISO 800 (the absolute limit for my 7D without getting too much noise) I was often getting shutter speeds of 1/500 or slower at f/5.6 – just not fast enough to get birds in flight sharp. I got lucky with this shot. As the owl was coming in, the clouds behind me opened up slightly to allow a little more light on the bird and a shutter speed of 1/640 – just enough to get good sharpness on a relatively large and slow flying bird if your focus is well locked on to the subject. The still shaded Centennial Mountains provided…

Ferruginous Hawks of Utah’s West Desert

The Ferruginous Hawk is a strikingly handsome raptor with its stocky build, white underparts and rufous coloration. It is the largest North American hawk and has several distinctive features including the fact that its legs are feathered all the way down to the feet. The Rough-legged Hawk is the only other hawk on this continent to share this trait. I’ve had a devil of a time getting many photos of this species that I like. For me they’ve been difficult to find in the first place and then there’s the issue of getting near enough to them for quality images as they generally don’t allow a close approach. My best luck with the species has been in the foothills of Utah’s west desert mountain ranges. 1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I found this bird earlier this week and spent quite a while “sneaking” up on it very slowly in my pickup. I ended up getting reasonably close before it flew off. The hawk is relaxed enough with me in its presence to perform a nice wing stretch. 1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc These birds tend to hunt high off the ground and no matter how slowly I try to approach them while they’re in the air they usually maintain a minimum distance from my truck that is too far away for good photographs. Very occasionally however one will apparently become curious about me and fly in close – always with its eye on me and not on any potential prey on the ground. …

Tag: flight