Western Meadowlark in flight – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
Yesterday was my first time out shooting since returning from Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, bad weather had kept me from being in the field. It was wonderful to be back on Antelope Island State Park, seeing the birds, animals and how things had changed in just a bit over a week.
It was also wonderful to have beautiful light.
This Western Meadowlark lifted off from a Sagebrush and I was able to track it and capture this image as soon as it was airborne. I’ve found it difficult to get images of Western Meadowlarks in flight because they move so quickly.
Red-tailed Hawk in really bad light - Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/8000, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
Sometimes I take the shot despite knowing that I am not shooting in optimal conditions, most of the time the results are awful but once in awhile I actually enjoy the final image.
This image was taken at Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in northeastern Utah, there were dark, heavy clouds hanging in the sky and the sun was trying to break through the gloom as this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk flew over my head. I stuck my lens out the window, pointed it skyward and fired a few shots.
This image was the result. I like it because it is kind of spooky. Weird. Different for me.
Adult White Ibis – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/500, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
White Ibis can be strange looking birds to people who have never seen them before, they have soft, sky blue eyes, skinny legs, long necks and a bill that could be compared to Jimmy Durante’s nose. The adults have white feathers, hence the name White Ibis.
There are three other Ibis species found in North America, the White-faced, Glossy and Scarlet Ibis. In the wild I have seen all but the Scarlet Ibis.
I photographed this adult White Ibis at Fort De Soto County Park’s north beach in a tidal lagoon one evening in June of 2009, the sun was starting to set and the tide was going out rapidly.
Juvenile White Ibis - Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1/500, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 330mm, natural light
Juvenile White Ibis have the same shaped body, legs, neck and bill and their eyes are also a sky blue but their feather colors are different. Immature White Ibis have browns and tans in their plumage and as they age those feathers are replaced with white, they can look piebald until that change occurs.
This juvenile white Ibis was photographed in December of 2008 about 200 feet from where the adult above was photographed in the same lagoon but earlier in the afternoon so I didn’t have that soft golden light that shows in the image with the adult.
Brewer’s Sparrows were abundant at the location where we photographed Ospreys close to the Flaming Gorge Reservoir last week and it seemed like they sang every time they popped up on top of the Sagebrush in the area. The Osprey spent enormous amounts of time preening on top of an ugly power pole close by or off in the distance eating fish on another power pole so I was glad the Brewer’s Sparrows were there for their song and because they make great subjects.
Brewer’s Sparrow on a Sagebrush near the Flaming Gorge Reservoir
The Brewer’s Sparrow in these images snuck up on the ground and it was foraging and singing from inside the sagebrush before it popped up to the top, I like being able to tell a bird is there before I see them because I can anticipate where they might show up. The sparrow was so close I was concerned that it might be too close for my minimum focusing range but I worried needlessly about that though I do wish I had set my aperture for more depth of field.
Alert Brewer’s Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrows breed in Utah and are fond of arid brushlands and deserts of the High Plains and Great Basin where they ground forage for insects and seeds. The male Brewer’s Sparrow sings continuously in the spring to attract a mate, this sparrow sure did!
Male Osprey in flight – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 800, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
Our trip to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in northeastern Utah was great despite my having been ill the last night we were there. We camped in two different locations this time and both had grand views of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
Last year at about this same time these Osprey were busy building their nest while this year they were already sitting on eggs. The male pictured above was flying past the nest with part of a fish in its talons. We sat for nearly an hour watching the male eat this fish on a distant power pole before he flew past. Have I ever mentioned that one needs tons of patience to be a bird photographer?
Female Osprey in golden light - Nikon D300, f5.6, 1/1000, ISO 800, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 357mm, natural light, not baited
The light in the morning can be gorgeous at Flaming Gorge, it was when I photographed the female regaining her balance on top of a power pole near the nest. We didn’t see much of this golden light though this trip. The Uinta Mountains can create their own weather and they certainly did the days we were there with clouds building up in the afternoons, some rain and thunderstorms too.
Female Osprey in low light - Nikon D300, f5.6, 1/160, ISO 1250, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
The last morning the light was low with clouds that were blocking the sun and spitting some rain down on us. I bumped my ISO up to 1250 and hoped to get a few useable images of the Osprey before we left. Even at ISO 1250 I wasn’t getting the shutter speed I would have liked and all the flight images I took had plenty of motion blur, I think I was quite lucky to get the female’s face in focus as she came in for a landing in this frame.
The beauty of Flaming Gorge - Nikon D300, f8, 1/500, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 95mm, natural light
Who couldn’t love this view? I know each time I see it I am in awe of the beauty of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, and this view is just a tiny part of the stunning vistas seen in the area.
I’ll be posting more Osprey images from this journey later along with scenery from other parts of the Recreation Area and Ashley National Forest.
Western Meadowlark in flight – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
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