utah – Page 126 – Feathered Photography

Landing Red-tailed Hawk

I haven’t often succeeded in photographing a landing raptor. When they take off they usually don’t come back and when they do it’s often difficult to maintain focus on them as they land because of close backgrounds. However, this immature Red-tailed Hawk gave me just such an opportunity a couple of days ago. 1/2000, f 7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 It was hunting from a huge rock outcropping and looking down over the valley in the background of this image. I spent quite a while with this bird but it was side lit and I wasn’t very optimistic about getting a decent take-off shot because I expected it to spot potential prey in the valley below and take off away from me, giving me butt shots only. 1/1600, f 7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 Which is exactly what happened. However, I saw where the bird landed far below in the valley, missed the prey and took off again so I wondered if I could be lucky enough for it to return to the same perch. I wasn’t particularly optimistic because I was so close to the rock (you’ll notice from my techs that I had even removed my tc). The problem was that as soon as the hawk took off from that distant perch it disappeared behind the same massive rock outcropping on the side of the mountain that had been its perch and if it did return I wouldn’t know it until the very last split second, as it flared up to land on the rock from behind and below it. So I prefocussed on the likely…

Coyotes Grazing On Grass

Please don’t expect great photography with this post. My purpose here is simply to document an interesting behavior. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years observing coyotes and I’ve seen them eat a variety of rodents (especially voles), birds and carrion but yesterday on Antelope Island I observed something new – grazing coyotes! I found a group of four of them on a steep hillside next to the road and they were very definitely eating grass. I’ll simply let these images speak for themselves. This was the only half-way decent image I was able to get with my 500mm that included all four coyotes. I guess the thought of coyotes eating grass is just something I’d never considered before but I shouldn’t have been surprised. Most domestic dog owners are well aware that their pets occasionally eat grass. Studies have shown that grass appears in 14 – 43% of all wolf scat in North America and grass in coyote and fox scat is so common as to be unremarkable. I watched as three of these four coyotes consumed grass and I suspect the fourth one was doing the same but it was mostly hidden behind sagebrush so I couldn’t be sure. There is just something so very incongruous about a group of canine carnivores slowly moving across a hillside while grazing on grass, like a herd of bison or elk. I thought it was an interesting behavioral display. Ron

Short-eared Owl In Flight, With Prey

I’ve been frustrated by this species in flight in Utah for years, though I’ve had some luck with Montana birds. 1/3200. f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Finally, last summer, I found a mated pair on Antelope Island who were busy trying to keep track of and feed at least four juveniles spread out over several acres. Occasionally one of the parents would fly by relatively close as it returned with a vole for the youngsters. In larger versions of this image there’s a catch light in the eye of the vole but it’s impossible to see at this size. Ron

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Take-off

Recently I’ve had several opportunities with a pair of Juvenile Red-tailed Hawks that like to hunt from some elevated rocks that look down over some prime rodent habitat. It’s nice for a change to find them on natural and attractive perches rather than telephone poles or even fence posts. Don’t get me wrong, I like a rustic old fencepost as a perch but I do enjoy these natural rocks for a change. 1/8000, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc (inappropriate techs for this shot, hadn’t had time to change them yet) The birds scan the grasses below them for prey and if you watch their behavior and body language carefully you can anticipate take-off. 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 640, 400 f/4, 1.4 tc I could tell this bird had spotted potential prey below (a vole, most likely) so I was ready to fire off a burst as it launched. I’m always happy when I can get a wing position like this one. 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 640, 400 f/4, 1.4 tc In the very next frame of the burst I got a similar wing position as it lifted off of the rock and luck played a significant role in that fact. The burst rate of my Canon 7D seems to be just about the same speed as that of the wing-beats of raptors this size as they take off, so there was a very good chance that the wings in both shots would be in the much less desirable horizontal position. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t. Observing and photographing these two birds has…

Smiling Coyote

I see a fair number of coyotes in my travels but it’s fairly unusual for me to get one relatively unobstructed and up close – much less in good light. Less than two weeks ago this one cooperated in all three arenas. 1/800, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc And I just love it when they “smile” at me. Ron

Porcupine On The Antelope Island Causeway

On Wednesday morning of this week I had quite the surprise as I drove out to Antelope Island at dawn. Between the island and the last bridge going west – a Porcupine! The bristly critter was in the shade of the elevated road but I couldn’t resist taking a few photos anyway. I got pretty close to take these images but it didn’t seem very concerned about it – with their prickly defense there’s few predators that will regularly mess with them other than the Fisher, and there’s not many of them on the island… Most predators (and even many non-predators) know, instinctively or from experience, that bothering a Porcupine simply is not worth the risk (see my recent post of a Moose that fell victim to a Porcupine). Porcupines are not uncommon on the island but in my experience it’s unusual to see them up close. Typically they’re in the Russian Olives a fair distance from the road and in an area which can’t legally be hiked. It was fun to get such a good look at this one but I was concerned that it would become road-kill on the causeway. All morning, while I was on the island, I was fearful that I’d find it dead on the road as I drove out. Thankfully I didn’t. I hope it made its way safely back to the island. Ron

Male Northern Harrier Almost Blown Off His Perch

I don’t often get close to perched male harriers but on Antelope Island a couple of months ago this one made an exception for me. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc As I watched him through my lens a sudden wind gust almost blew him off of this pointed and precarious post perch and I liked some of the poses that resulted. It’s times like this that I appreciate the relatively fast burst rate of the Canon 7D. I didn’t get a great look at the eye in this first shot but I liked the tail, wing and left foot positions that show his obvious attempt to recover stability on the perch. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc A better look at the eye and a higher wing position in this image… 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc and in the very next frame he extends his left wing far out in front. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Still recovering. Notice the bloody feet in these shots, most likely from his last vole meal. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Finally, he’s recovered enough to give me direct eye contact. 1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc A little ruffled by the experience but in the end, all’s well. This series is an example of why, after I’ve taken a few static shots of the bird, I like to bump my settings to give me enough shutter speed…

Red-tailed Hawk Double Serendipity

One of the frustrations with photographing birds on Antelope Island is the perches. There aren’t many trees on the island so many of the birds perch on the rocks. The rocks on the north end of the island are primarily Tintic Quartzite which is almost white in color, so getting the exposure right when a darker bird is perched on them is problematic. And even when you do get the overall exposure right, those white perches just don’t have a lot of visual appeal for me. The rocks on the southern 2/3 of the island are of a geologic formation called the Farmington Canyon Complex. They’re some of the oldest rocks on earth (2.7 billion years) and they’re significantly darker in color so they make much more aesthetically appealing perches for bird photography. The problem is that most of these rocks are relatively far from the road so I have very few images of birds perched on them. Almost every day we’re on the island (usually several times per week) Mia or I will comment about our frustrations in getting quality shots of birds on these dark and dramatic looking rocks. Last week our luck changed. Not only did we get a bird on those rocks – it was a raptor (yes, I’m a raptor freak), it was in good light and it let us get close for a good long while. And as you’ll see, it even approached us! 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Mia spotted this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk first (she usually does. After all I have to drive…) but…

Moose With A Snoot-full Of Porcupine Quills

This morning we came across this cow moose along the Mirror Lake Highway in Summit County. At first, while looking through our viewfinders, we weren’t sure what was “stuck” to her face. Turns out that this poor critter was the apparent loser in an encounter with a porcupine as she had at least 13 quills embedded in the bulbous part of her nose. She watched us carefully for a few minutes… and then began to lick her snout as if she was either trying to dislodge the quills or simply sooth the pain. At least she was able to eat with no apparent problem. Then she turned toward the road, crossed it right in front of us and went into the shade for a few seconds before ambling off. I’ve got to admit to feeling very badly for this poor animal. I’ve seen farm dogs and horses fall victim to the wrath of porcupines and it isn’t pretty. There was a road-killed porcupine a very short distance from where we found this moose and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was the same animal that tagged her. Ron

Juvenile Burrowing Owl In Flight

This morning was the first time we’ve been out photographing since our Montana trip. I’ll post more images from Big Sky Country soon but I thought I’d break it up a bit with a couple of photos from this morning. 1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc The juvenile Burrowing Owls were quite active at just the right time – when the sun was still low but high enough to give me enough light and shutter speed that I didn’t have to crank up my ISO too far. I haven’t had a lot of luck with Burrowing Owls in full flight so I was quite pleased with this shot even though I had to add a bit of canvas to the image for composition. 1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc These youngsters are beginning to show some signs of maturing by the development of more color on the breast. As you can see, this is one of the young birds that has been banded.It’s very entertaining to watch these juveniles. In the morning before it gets too hot they often fly from perch to nearby perch and when they’re on the ground they seem to enjoy manipulating objects like twigs and leaves and nibbling on flowers. They interact with each other with the enthusiasm of youth. The problem for the photographer is that when they’re on the ground it’s virtually impossible to get a clear shot of them through all the vegetation. I really enjoy these little guys. Ron

Rough-legged Hawk Hunting Voles

Out of pure habit I still look for Rough-legged Hawks whenever I pass one of their favorite perches, despite the fact that they’re now on their arctic and subarctic breeding grounds in northern Alaska and Canada. Last winter it seemed that these hawks were everywhere in northern Utah and it wasn’t unusual for me to see a dozen or more different birds in a morning of shooting. They’re a particularly handsome raptor and I love photographing them. 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I found this one hunting voles along the Antelope Island causeway this past December. A moderate headwind slowed the bird down and made getting flight shots a little easier. 1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc When hunting they’re usually looking down which makes it difficult to get eye contact but occasionally you can catch them looking at you if you’re quick on the trigger. Here the wings are mostly horizontal but for me the tilt of the tail helps to compensate for that. 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This eye/head angle is more typical of a hunting bird. The position of the left wing probably won’t appeal to many but there’s something about the curves of both wings that I liked. The sky color may seem a little funky but that’s the color it really was so I didn’t play with it. 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Here the hawk has captured a baby vole. This surprised me a little…

A Plea For Respect For The Burrowing Owl

If there’s a group of birds on the face of the earth that is almost universally loved it seems to me that it would have to be owls. Many folks are captivated by them for their large forward-facing eyes, quizzical expressions, eerie vocalizations and the sense of mystery provided by their generally nocturnal habits. Others appreciate their many unique adaptations, such as silent flight and their ability to turn their heads 270 degrees. There’s just something about owls… 1/640, f/9, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc And for many of us Burrowing Owls are at the pinnacle of that adoration. Their comical antics, especially those of the juveniles, tug at our heartstrings and make us smile. And they’re more accessible to viewing than are most owls because they’re active during daylight and spend much of their time on the ground close to their burrows instead of being hidden high up in trees. The flip-side to all this is that Burrowing Owls are extremely vulnerable to unthinking human intrusion – especially while they’re nesting and caring for chicks or juveniles. 1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc In Utah the burrows of these owls are typically found among sagebrush, which they often use as perches during early morning. This allows the patient and ethical birder or photographer a good look at the birds without having to get too close in order to see through the vegetation usually found in the burrow area. It’s not unusual for Burrowing Owls to nest close to roads and when they do…

Western Kingbird Wing Flutter

This morning we decided to get out of our rut a little bit (actually, I tend to like ruts) and look for birds somewhere new so we headed to the high country of Morgan County. We figured it would be a nice respite from the heat, and it was. We saw some beautiful country and quite a few birds, though most of them were a challenge to get close to. One thing really surprised me. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such high concentrations of Black-headed Grosbeaks and Western Kingbirds anywhere. Both species were picking off bugs along the road and it was a delight to see so many of them. 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This Western Kingbird was performing the “wing flutter” that kingbirds are so well-known for. It’s an aggressive behavior that is usually directed at other kingbirds, as was the case here. I liked the pose and the way the Scrub Oak framed the bird and helped to break up the blue sky background. Ron

Loggerhead Shrike Take-offs

One of my current projects is take-off shots of Loggerhead Shrikes and I’m finding it to be unexpectedly difficult to get the quality I want. Take-offs of small birds are challenging by definition but I have quite a few that I like of other species so I’m a bit surprised that I’m struggling so with the shrikes. This past week I’ve had at least some success and these two are the best of the lot so far. 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc On Tuesday morning this shrike gave me nice eye contact as it launched from its perch and I had good light and a clean background but I’m a bit surprised that the wings aren’t sharper. I doubt that it’s motion blur at 1/3200 and I was far enough away from the bird that I thought f/6.3 would give me more depth of field than this. Live and learn… 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Two mornings later I was photographing this shrike perched when an insect that interested it flew overhead. The bird has its eye on the bug as it’s taking off. This has been the best year on Antelope Island for Loggerhead Shrikes that I can remember as they seem to have had very good success so far in raising their broods. And with the plethora of huge orb-weaver spiders just coming on, things should only get better out there for shrikes. They love to eat those nasty looking spiders and feed them to their chicks. Which should mean more practice for me…

Western Grebes – Aggressive Speed Demons

I’ve spent a lot of time over the years watching and photographing the behaviors of Western Grebes and I’ve been impressed by both their aggressive tendencies toward other birds and by their incredible acceleration and speed in “running” across the water at those same birds. In my experience that aggression is most often directed toward other grebes in defense of mates, chicks or feeding areas but they are also aggressive toward a variety of other species and are suspected of stabbing them with their bill from under water. BNA reports Mallards and Red-necked Grebes found dead from stab wounds to the abdomen that were probably administered by Western Grebes. I’ve found photographing them as they dash across the water to be very challenging because of their speed and the unpredictable nature of the behavior – it usually comes with little or no warning and direction is difficult to anticipate. 1/1250, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4 Though these birds appear slim while sitting on the water, in reality they are fairly chunky and at the end of one of these “runs” their wide body throws up quite a wide wake as they begin to slow down and settle back into the water – much like a speedboat after the engine has been cut. 1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This grebe is early in the acceleration stage with its “bow” still raised high. 1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc And then another wake as it begins to settle into the water. 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500,…

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