Peregrine Falcons

More on Escaped Falconry Birds

By Mia McPherson, on December 23rd, 2012%

I mentioned in a post about a hatch year Red-tailed Hawk that I published on December 12th that I would do a post later on an escaped female American Kestrel falconry bird. Sorry it has taken me so long to get this post up but here it is with a little history of my own experiences with escaped falconry birds.

Escaped male American Kestrel with jesses

A few days later in the same area Ron had pulled off to the side of the road to answer a phone call when I saw an American kestrel male perched on top of a power pole right in front of us that had some thing hanging down from its legs. I realized that they were jesses, the type that falconers use and that the bird I saw previously didn’t have grass dangling from its talons, it had jesses and that the bird in front of me was one and the same.

We notified the Department of Wildlife Resources via telephone about the escaped kestrel and after a period of several weeks the owner was able to recapture the bird. We saw the bird so often that I named it “Jack” simply because it was easier to say than the “escaped male kestrel”. Not too long after “Jack” was captured he escaped again and this time the owner did not attempt recapture. For awhile I saw Jack with both jesses then I started to see him with only one and eventually I didn’t see a male Kestrel with jesses in that area any more. It is my hope that “Jack” got rid of that final jess and is alive and well.

Female Peregrine Falcon with anklets

The good news on this female Peregrine Falcon is that she was recaptured recently and taken to a rehab facility and with a clean bill of health she should be released to the wild without the anklets. I was out of the loop of communications regarding attempts to recapture her but was relieved to hear that she is well.

Escaped female American Kestrel with jesses

But I believe, as does Ron and some local falconers that the female Kestrel and Peregrine were probably captured by falconer wannabes. In other words these birds were most likely caught by unlicensed persons and used as falconry birds. That type of activity is illegal and it could give the licensed falconers in this area a bad reputation. True falconers are licensed, care deeply for their birds and are held to high standards by the North American Falconers Association.

Efforts are being made to recapture the female American Kestrel but she has been wary. Only licensed trappers are permitted to recapture escaped falconry birds and there are still issues of getting permission for landowners or proper authorities, in this case a Utah State park.

I mentioned earlier that we contacted Utah DWR to report the escaped birds because we were not able, as non-members of NAFA, to report them on the NAFA web site. That has been changed so that non-members can report escaped falconry birds on the NAFA web site. I believe that will help to notify falconers in the area rapidly so they can recapture lost birds. With as many bird photographers, birders and wildlife watchers that are out in the field it is a positive step of NAFA to allow non-members to report it if they find lost birds. Reports can be filed here.

We spend a lot of time in the field photographing birds which might be why we have found three escaped falconry birds in three year’s time.

Those dangling jesses and pieces of hardware have the potential to get caught on items which would immobilize the bird and cause its death so it is critical to recapture birds with hardware on them before something terrible happens to them.

Ron and I met with Becka Butcher, a licensed falconer and trapper on Antelope Island on December 11th to show her where we were seeing the escaped female kestrel and efforts are ongoing to recapture her.

I hope the female kestrel is recaptured soon, her jesses aren’t as long as Jack’s were (which I am told were WAY too long) but they could still pose a danger for this beautiful female American Kestrel.

Throughout these three experiences in finding escaped falconry birds what I have learned is that falconry is for experts not for people who just think it is cool to have a pet raptor. People who have not been trained or do not have a license for falconry should just observe them in the wild, the birds will be far better off for it.

Hopefully other birders, bird photographers and wildlife watchers will spread the word that we can go to the NAFA site and report lost birds. It could save their lives.

Mia

Report a lost/found falconry birds here.

Hail Yeah – Storm at Red Rock Lakes Dam

By Mia McPherson, on October 28th, 2012%

Last year in July while camping at the Lower Lake of Red Rock Lakes National Refuge a storm came in while we were photographing birds at the dam, it looked like it was going to be a bad one so we were going to head back to the camper when a Peregrine Falcon swooped towards the American Avocets and Wilson’s Phalaropes.

Before the storm, a Peregrine Falcon takes an American Avocet as prey

The Peregrine Falcon snatched an American Avocet right out of the shallow water and flew past us with it dangling from its talons. It all happened so quickly that I only got this one clear shot of the falcon.

We wondered if the falcon would come back so despite the impending arrival of the nasty looking storm we sat in the pickup to see if it would.

American Avocets in flight during a storm

And the storm came in fast along with heavy rain and wind. These Avocets were coming in to land in the shallow water.

American Avocets in a hail storm

And shortly after they landed the hail started. I had never wondered what birds do in a hail storm before that day. Larger hail must injure and possibly kill birds when it falls.

The pea sized hail was pounding on the top of the pickup and pelting the parts of my hands and arms that were partially out of the window to take these images. Rain blew in the window and dripped off of my Noodle lens rest and the lens coat covering on my lens was soaked too.

I processed this image different from I normally do, typically I only sharpen the bird and other items they might be standing on to perch, or vegetation close or in front of my subject but with this image I sharpened the entire frame to accentuate the streaks of falling rain.

Facing the storm

When the hail size became smaller the shorebirds seemed to perk up. The tiny bird in front of the Avocets is a Wilson’s Phalarope, there were more of them behind the bush it is in front of. The hail was still coming down hard.

When the hail turns to rain

By this time the hail had turned to rain and the birds began moving around, a few of the Phalaropes took to the air.

American Avocets flying in a driving rain

And the Avocets soon followed. They have such a neat pattern on their backs. When I processed this I noticed that all of the Avocets have their legs close together trailing behind them except the one at the top of the center towards the right whose legs are splayed out from each other. Just something odd I picked up on.

I also sharpened this whole frame to highlight the driving rain.

American Avocets and Wilson’s Phalaropes about to land in the rain

The Avocets weren’t in flight long before they landed again and a few of the Phalaropes landed with them. The Avocets seemed to enjoy the lighter rain because they bathed and splashed in the shallows.

Wilson’s Phalaropes in flight in front of a rainbow

The Phalaropes took off though flying back and forth in front of me, twisting and turning in flight, one second flashing their white undersides and the next their darker top sides. As they flew the sun came out and a rainbow appeared. How great it was to photograph these birds with the colors of the rainbow behind them.

Red Rock Lakes NWR rainbow after a storm

Since I began photographing birds in Florida I have gotten used to getting wet to photograph shorebirds, wringing wet at times but my gear has never been as wet as it was the day I took these images from inside the pickup. Was it worth it? I think so.

Mia

Escaped Falconry Birds – A Peregrine Falcon and American Kestrel

By Mia McPherson, on October 16th, 2012%

On November 3, 2009 I spotted an American Kestrel while leaving Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in Davis County, Utah that had me thinking I was losing my mind because it appeared that there were two long stalks of dried grasses trailing from its legs as it flew by. I didn’t mention it to Ron at the time because… well it sounded a little crazy.

Then on November 5th, 2009 I spotted a kestrel perched on a telephone pole in the same general area and could see that it had light-colored jesses attached to its legs. I could not get photos of it at the time because my camera was belted into the back seat but there was NO mistaking the jesses for grass stalks that day.

I reported the escaped American Kestrel to the Utah DWR along with directions to its location. The Utah DWR oversees falconry permits, federal rules and regulation regarding falconry , falconry permit applications, falconry raptor capture guidelines and it is the office to contact regarding escaped falconry birds.

Male American Kestrel, escaped Falconry bird with jesses attached

Over the course of several weeks I saw the escaped American Kestrel often and was pleased when I saw it with prey. In dealing with the manager of the Great Salt Lake Nature Center; Justina, nearby, the DWR and local Falconers trying to recapture the bird I called him Jack to make it simpler than saying “the escaped American Kestrel”. Jack became a familiar sight in the area where I first spotted him.

Male American Kestrel with jesses attached

I was concerned about Jack because the trailing jesses could easily have become entangled on branches, twigs, power lines and more. In the image above Jack was perched on a Russian Olive tree, the gray arrows point to his jesses. I think it is easy to see how the jesses may have gotten tangled putting his life at risk.

Because of inclement weather and not being able to locate him Jack wasn’t recaptured by his owner until December 12, 2009. The owner brought him by so we could see him up close, I had begun to feel attached to Jack (his owner called him Orion) during the weeks before his capture and was glad to see him so close.

A few weeks later I spotted a kestrel in the same location with jesses on again. A Sharp-shinned Hawk had dive bombed and chased Jack while the owner had him outside and he escaped again. The reason he kept coming back to that specific location was because that was the area where jack had first been captured to become a falconry bird. The owner decided to allow Jack/Orion to become a free bird again. I saw him a few times after that, once when he only had one jess remaining. After that I only saw male kestrels in that area without jesses. I was glad he was free once more. To this day when I see a male American Kestrel in that location I wonder if it is Jack.

Peregrine Falcon – Escaped Falconry Bird – sighted September 17, 2012

Let’s fast forward now to September 17, 2012. My mom was with us as we headed to Antelope Island State Park and I spotted a falcon flying along the causeway to Antelope Island State Park. When it stopped I could see it on prey on the muddy shoreline and when I got my lens trained on it I realized the Peregrine Falcon had anklets with grommets on it for jesses to be pulled through. The light wasn’t very good and my images were terrible.

I used my SmartPhone to search for the phone number to the DWR and called them to report the Peregrine Falcon as an escaped bird and gave them the last location where I had seen it. That was the last time I heard from the DWR about this escaped Falcon. With Jack they were in touch with us letting us know what was being done for him, I am disappointed that the DWR didn’t follow through with letting me know what was going on with this Peregrine.

Peregrine Falcon - Escaped Falconry Bird - sighted Ocotber 14, 2012

Peregrine Falcon – Escaped Falconry Bird – sighted October 14, 2012

Two days ago while on the causeway to Antelope Island I sighted a bird zooming past and knew it was a falcon from its speed, shape and the way it flew. While I kept my eye on the bird Ron turned the pickup around and I could tell the approximate location where the bird landed. As we came up on that location I saw two birds, one smaller than the other and very quickly the smaller bird took off, it was a Prairie Falcon, the larger remaining bird was a Peregrine Falcon on prey. The light wasn’t optimal for photographing it but I did any way and within the first few frames I realized the bird had anklets on. It was the same general location as the escaped bird I saw on the 17th of September and the anklets with the grommets appeared identical. I’m almost certain (99%) it was the same bird as the month before.

There haven’t been any bad snow storms like there were when trying to recapture Jack the American Kestrel which made it difficult for the Falconers recapture efforts and without the DWR contacting me I just don’t know if the owner of this falcon has decided to allow it to become a free bird again. It worries me though because of the anklets, they aren’t likely to get entangled with something like jesses could but they still could cause problems.

Escaped Falconry Bird - Peregrine Falcon - sighted Ocotber 14, 2012

Escaped Falconry Bird – Peregrine Falcon – sighted October 14, 2012

This Peregrine Falcon ate what appeared to be either a Lesser or Greater Yellowlegs (from the legs & feet I could see). It kept looking over at us and vocalizing when it wasn’t eating, I’m not sure why, perhaps a falconer could explain that behavior.

I know that falconry birds and rehabbed raptors can be used as excellent tools in educating the public, I’ve been impressed with them myself. But there is a risk for falconry birds that escape and that still have jesses or anklets attached and that fact worries me. I know if this were my bird I wouldn’t be able to rest until the anklets were gone.

At this point with this falcon being free for nearly over a month since I first spotted it my hope is that the Peregrine will remove the anklets and resume being a free bird, going where it wants to, when it wants to and doing what comes natural to it.

Fly free & wild Peregrine.

Mia

Wild and Wonderful – Antelope Island State Park – The Birds

By Mia McPherson, on January 25th, 2012%

This is the third post in my series about Wild and Wonderful Antelope Island State Park, I’ve saved the best (and longest) for last. The Birds! Okay, maybe they aren’t the best thing about Antelope Island State Park, but I am a bird photographer and they are what I am most passionate about!

Birds of Antelope Island:

Before I get to the avian life of the island I’d like to provide a link from UtahBirds.org that has a checklist of the birds of Antelope Island that is downloadable. If you need ID help for the birds found on the island UtahBirds.org has a great photo gallery of the various species put together by the wonderful Milt Moody that are contributed by local bird photographers that can assist in ID.

Upland Game Birds:

Feeding Chukar (Alectoris chukar)

Feeding Chukar (Alectoris chukar)
Nikon D200, f8, 1/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

Chukars are the most visible of the upland game birds that inhabit the island, they do not migrate so they can be seen all year round. Although they are not native to North America the Chukars on Antelope Island have adapted well to their adopted home. My first sighting of a Chukar in the wild was on Antelope Island and I am still as thrilled today to photograph them as I was on my first to the island.

Other upland game birds that can be seen on the island are Ring-necked Pheasants, California Quail and I’ve seen Sharp-tailed Grouse there as well. Thankfully the birds on Antelope Island are not hunted.

Gulls:

California Gull (Larus californicus) chasing brine flies

California Gull (Larus californicus) chasing brine flies
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/1500, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x Tc at 400mm

The Great Salt Lake and its surrounding marshes are a magnet for birds like gulls and terns. The Utah State Bird is the California Gull and it is often visible along the causeway to the island, the shoreline, in flight over the island and can also be found perched on the pavilions near the campgrounds and the Buffalo Grill.

I believe that although gulls are common they can be uncommonly beautiful photographed in the right light, in a great pose or interesting habitat.

Shorebirds:

Killdeer on a rock
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) on a rock
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/320, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

There are many shorebirds that visit Antelope Island, the causeway to the island and the surrounding freshwater marshes, too many for me to post an image of each one so I will just post a few. I counted 35 on the checklist but some of those are rare vagrants, still that is a lot!

Some of the shorebirds are just passing through the Salt Lake Valley during their migration further north to their breeding ground, the Killdeer pictured above nests on the island along with several other species.

Willet (Tringa semipalmata) wing lift

Willet (Tringa semipalmata) wing lift
Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/750, ISO 400, 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

Willets are another species of the shorebirds that nest on the island, prior to breeding season they can be seen quite often along the causeway but when they are nesting they can be seen in the grasses and on the rocks along the road. They let their presence be known by loud calling and wing displays. The bird above was displaying because another Willet was nearby and they don’t seem to care for intruders on their territory.

Male Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)

Male Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)
Nikon D200, f5.6, 1/640, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

It won’t be very much longer before the Long-billed Curlews return to nest on Antelope Island and until I can hear their hauntingly beautiful calls. In Florida I never heard the calls of these graceful shorebirds, it is call that once you hear it, you’ll never forget it. I am very much looking forward to their return.

In the summer the calls of American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts can easily be heard along the causeway and their numbers are in the thousands (and thousands). There are just so many shorebirds present at times I can’t post a photo of them all but the checklist I linked to above shows all of the species.

Perching Birds:

Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) on nest

Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) on nest
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR at 380mm

There are also more perching birds on the island than I can list, I didn’t even try to count them so I’ll just post some images of the ones I see often like this Black-billed Magpie on top of its nest. Black-billed Magpies are great fun to observe and photograph at any time of the year. Some people call them noisy but as a bird lover their raucous calls are music to my ears.

Common Raven (Corvus corax) with nesting material

Common Raven (Corvus corax) with nesting material
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/1500, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

Common Ravens are in the Jay, Crow and Allies family along with the Black-billed Magpies and they are among the smartest birds in the world. They can bee seen flying all over Antelope Island, on the ground, perched on bushes or harassing other birds and animals. Just yesterday alone I saw them harassing Northern Harriers, a lone Coyote on a hill and a Rough-legged Hawk. Fiesty and fun!

Male Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) displaying on sagebrush

Male Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) displaying on sagebrush
Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/500, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x Tc at 400mm

There are several different species of Blackbirds present on the island which include Brewer’s Blackbirds, the bird above is displaying for a female who was just outside of this frame. I love the beautiful iridescence that can been seen in their plumage when the light is at the right angle.

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) singing in early spring

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) singing in early spring (low light)
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/160, ISO 400, +1.0 Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

I don’t believe I have ever made a visit to Antelope Island without hearing or seeing Western Meadowlarks. Ever. During breeding season they seem unable to stop singing, you can tell they are trying to not sing but it just bursts forth anyway. And when they are feeding nestlings it is not uncommon to see them with 25 or more bugs in their bills. I don’t know how they don’t drop them all.

Male Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

Horned Larks are also year round residents on the island, they delight me with their soft calls while perched on rocks and in flight. I love their subtle coloration, the little bit of yellow on their faces and those tiny little horns. They can be seen out in the open, feeding in the grasses, perched on signs and singing from the top of boulders that dot the island. I can’t resist taking photos of them.

Sage Thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus) juvenile

Sage Thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus) juvenile
Nikon D200, f9, 1/500, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

Sage Thrashers are part-time residents of Antelope Island that breed and nest during the summer. Some years they show up in large numbers while other years there just aren’t as many. I love to see them flitting from one sage brush to another or perched on the boulders like the juvenile shown above. I miss them during the winter but I know I’ll get to see them again soon.

Perched Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

Perched Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) in low light
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

I am always tickled to see Loggerhead Shrikes on the island and normally I hear them just before I see them. They are classified as “songbirds” and they really do sing but to me they look and act like small raptors. They are fierce, aggressive and very interesting birds. During the winter their cousins; the Northern Shrikes can also been seen on the island, this winter I have seen a few but too far away to get decent images of them.

There are sparrows, doves, warbler, wrens, vireos, tanagers and many more perching birds that live on or visit Antelope Island, it is such a bird magnet!

Pelicans:

American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in flight

American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in flight
Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

American White Pelicans breed in the Great Salt Lake area and it isn’t uncommon to see large flocks of them soaring in the thermals on clear days. These are huge birds with wingspans of up to 108 inches, nearly 30 inches longer than their relative the Brown Pelican. They are graceful and beautiful in flight.

Their cousins; the Double-crested Cormorants, are also seen in flight over the island from about March until late fall.

Ducks and Grebes:

Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) with Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata) in the surf of the Great Salt Lake

Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) with Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata) in the surf of the Great Salt Lake
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

Swans, geese and many species of ducks can be found in the waters of the Great Salt Lake and nearby freshwater marshes, I counted 29 of them on the bird checklist for Antelope Island. Autumn and winter is awesome for seeing ducks along the causeway which sometimes number well over thousands within plain view.

For my Florida friends: yes, we actually get surf on the Great Salt Lake when the winds are strong and our ducks seem to enjoy surfing!

Other water birds that can be sen on the lake are five species of Grebes, American Coots and occasionally Common Loons.

Hawks, Eagles and Falcons:

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) male in flight

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) male in flight
Nikon D300, f9, 1/1000, ISO 640, +1.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, not baited

Antelope Island State Park is home year round for Golden Eagles and Bald Eagles are a common sight during the winter with fly overs and Bald Eagles sitting on the ice of the Great Salt Lake. Northern Harriers are year round residents that cruise along the causeway to the island, near the shorelines and over other areas of the island itself. Northern Harriers prefer voles as their diet and there must be plenty of those around to support the numbers of harriers that I have seen.

Osprey are seen flying over the island during migration, they don’t fish in the Great Salt Lake because it is too saline for fish to live in but they do fish in the surrounding freshwater marshes and ponds.

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) in flight

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) in flight
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 285mm, not baited

Rough-legged Hawks have been plentiful on the island this winter and I have been overjoyed with that happening. I have been able to observe them hunting, hovering, eating, perching, having aerial fights with each other, swooping towards their prey and in flight. I have learned much more about this species habits because they have been so abundant.

Other hawks that are found on the island include Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks.

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) male

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) male
Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/350, ISO 400, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, not baited

Then there are the Falcons of Antelope Island. This beautiful little American Kestrel male was perched on a snow covered shrub while keeping an eye on me. They are the smallest falcon in North America but I don’t think they know that, I’ve seen them dive bombing much larger birds than themselves. Feisty and small, that is what my mother used to say about me.

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) on prey in low light

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) on prey in low light
Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/200, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, not baited

Peregrine Falcons are permanent residents of the Antelope Island area, during warmer months they often feed on a variety of shorebirds and during the winter they eat ducks like this Northern Shoveler. Inflight they are very challenging to photograph because they fly so fast. This falcon wasn’t bothered by my presence as it ate but it did keep an eye on me at times.

Juvenile Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) in early morning light

Juvenile Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) in early morning light
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm at 400mm, not baited

Prairie Falcons are another year round resident of the area and I have had a great time this winter photographing them. Until this winter they were a nemesis bird for me, always too far away to get good photographs of, but they are a nemesis no more.

Merlins are seen during the winter on the island and the causeway, I’m still working on getting some images of them from the Antelope Island area.

Owls:

Adult Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in flight

Adult Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in flight
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x tc at 400mm, not baited

Barn Owls nest on the island and nearby locations, when the adults are feeding chicks they can be seen in flight during daylight. When we have a hard winter (and this year we are not) they can be seen hunting all day long. This Barn Owl was hunting near the beginning of the causeway to the island which is marshy and it has the mud on its feet from pouncing on prey.

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) adult

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) adult
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, not baited

Great Horned Owls can be seen and photographed in several locations on the island and are permanent residents. Since I was a child I have always been fascinated by Great Horned Owls so I am always thrilled to have an opportunity to photograph them.

Juvenile Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) flapping its wings

Juvenile Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) flapping its wings
Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm

I simply adore Burrowing Owls, they are little, cute, funny and stunningly beautiful. They are a pleasure to photograph and because they are often very animated it can be hilarious too. I have had to hold my breath to squelch my laughter at times just so my camera and lens wouldn’t shake.

Other Owls that are seen on Antelope Island are Short-eared and Long-eared Owls. Northern Saw-whet Owls have also been seen and this winter there was a Snowy Owl reported along the causeway which turned out to be “A One day Wonder”, I would have loved to have a few images of that visitor from the Great White North. Maybe another year.

There are other birds of Antelope Island whose images aren’t here, there are simply too many for a blog post. Perhaps I should create a book.

Thanks for looking at the series of images and my thoughts from Wild and Wonderful ~ Antelope Island State Park!

Mia

* If you are in the Great Salt Lake Area from May 17th through the 21st (2012) you may want to consider visiting the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival which includes events on Antelope Island State Park. For more information please click on the graphic below.

Peregrine Falcon with prey ~ Low light

By Mia McPherson, on December 28th, 2011%

Where is the light when you want it? Yesterday it was hiding behind the clouds and lake fog when I spotted this Peregrine Falcon at a close distance, on prey and sticky. The frustrations of being a bird photographer were glaringly apparent to me yesterday morning. Curses!

Peregrine Falcon on top of prey
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) on top of prey ~ Davis County, Utah
Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/160, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 357mm, natural light, not baited or set up

I was the closest I have ever been to a wild Peregrine Falcon yesterday but I felt my heart sink knowing that the light was not going to be in my favor. There were no visible openings in the clouds. And it there it was on prey too!

Since moving to Utah and being faced with more low light situations than I ever had in Florida, I have had plenty of practice learning the techniques required for when the light just will not cooperate. So I just attempted to do my best with the light that I had.

I had 27 minutes with this Peregrine Falcon so I played with many different settings, changed my ISO for faster shutter speeds, adjusted my exposure compensation and my aperture trying to get sharp, interesting images of this young falcon.

I watched and photographed the falcon tearing into the Northern Shoveler beneath it, there were feathers flying everywhere and unfortunately there just wasn’t enough light to capture that action even at ISO 1600, all I got were blurry feathers floating softly towards the ground.

I also observed the falcon’s crop growing larger and larger as it ate.

Peregrine Falcon removing intestines of its prey ~Davis County, Utah
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/320, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up

I could barely detect a catchlight in the falcon’s eyes because the rays of the cold looking barely touched the eyes but despite the low light of the barely visible sun I kept right on shooting and hoping I’d get a few images of this beautiful bird worth saving.

I did get those images but; oh, what I would have given for the sweet light just after dawn. Perhaps another time.

Mia

More on Escaped Falconry Birds

Hail Yeah – Storm at Red Rock Lakes Dam

Escaped Falconry Birds – A Peregrine Falcon and American Kestrel

Wild and Wonderful – Antelope Island State Park – The Birds

Peregrine Falcon with prey ~ Low light

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More on Escaped Falconry Birds

Hail Yeah – Storm at Red Rock Lakes Dam

Escaped Falconry Birds – A Peregrine Falcon and American Kestrel

Wild and Wonderful – Antelope Island State Park – The Birds

Peregrine Falcon with prey ~ Low light

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