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 Female Coyote - Nikon D300, f8, 1/640, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 314mm, not baited or called in, natural light I look at this image and I see intelligence in the Coyote’s eyes. I see a warm-blooded creature who is doing what it needs to do to survive. I see a female who is nursing pups. I see beauty. Photographed on Antelope Island State Park. Mia           Last week I wrote about Long-billed Curlews having a Territorial Encounter but earlier that same morning I had another wonderful photographic encounter thanks to a scruffy looking, rain soaked Coyote waking up at the top of a ridge.  Scruffy Coyote just waking up - Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light After taking just a few images of the Coyote I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye and saw a Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) perched on some rocks on the slope below where the Coyote had been.  Alert Killdeer I figured that the Killdeer wouldn’t be there long so I wanted to get a few photos of the bird as it perched on a boulder.  Killdeer on a rocky slope When the Killdeer moved to another location I was happy to have a different setting to photograph the bird in.  Killdeer going up the slope The Killdeer moved up the slope a little bit more.  Killdeer on scrape It didn’t take long to realize the Killdeer was in the process of selecting a scrape because it was kicking things out of a small area.  Killdeer scraping The Killdeer lowered its breast to the ground and scraped its feet, this behavior is part of the “Scrape Ceremony” performed by males and females.  Checking out the scrape The Killdeer left the scrape and seemed to be looking for something on the ground right next to it.  Killdeer going back to the scrape The Killdeer then went back to the scrape and lowered its chest to the ground again. * The images above were taken using my D300 with the 1.4x TC attached at 400mm, all were taken at f6.3, o.0 EV compensation with shutter speeds from 1/2500 to 1/3200, ISO 640.  A Pair of Killdeer near the scrape Then I noticed movement just outside of my viewfinder and another bird moved down to where the first Killdeer was and I backed up my zoom to 357mm so that both birds fit easily into the frame with room to spare in case one of them spread their wings or lifted off.  Killdeer on a small rocky ledge The female Killdeer moved down towards a small pebble covered ledge. *At this point I changed my aperture to f11, and the focal length to 400mm, my shutter speed dropped to 1/1000.  Male and female Killdeer The male descended to the ledge.  Male Killdeer mounting the female Then he mounted the female.  Killdeer mating I wish the birds had been turned slightly towards the left side of the frame in the mating images to get more eye contact.  Male Killdeer about to dismount The male began to dismount.  Male Killdeer dismounting Throughout this series I was very careful about not filling the buffer on my memory card, I didn’t want to miss any great action because the buffer was full.  Female Killdeer after mating When the birds had finished mating the male went up the slope and the female moved down it towards the road. I’ll keep an eye on this area to see if the Killdeer used this scrape to lay their eggs. If it hadn’t been for the Coyote waking up after a rainy night on Antelope Island I may have missed seeing the Killdeer and creating this series of images. Mia   Sidelit Coyote - Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or called in Last November I spotted this Coyote (Canis latrans) wandering in some dried vegetation close to a roadside. Although the lighting wasn’t optimal; meaning that the sun wasn’t directly behind me, I wanted to take some photos of the Coyote because I liked the rim lighting on the right side of the Coyote’s neck, muzzle and ears. Even though the setting is rather busy the Coyote stands out well and I like the direct look I appear to be getting from it. Mia More Coyote images  Today I thought I would post a few images taken this past week from Antelope Island State Park and the west desert in Tooele County. Feathers & Fur.  Coyote in morning light on Antelope Island- Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or called in Right before I photographed this Coyote (Canis latrans) it had eaten four Voles from the base on a wild Sunflower. I couldn’t get any decent images of it then because it was well hidden behind the Sunflower stalks but when it wandered towards the other Coyote I could see in the distance it stopped and looked towards me where I had a relatively unobstructed view.  Male Horned Lark in Tooele County - Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light Yesterday I was in the west desert in Tooele County with high hopes of seeing and photographing Golden Eagles, Prairie Falcons, Ferruginous and Red-tailed Hawks. It wasn’t to be though, I think the strong south winds were keeping them hunkered down. The one Red-tailed Hawk I photographed was just a bit too far away to create decent images where the details were plainly evident. I still didn’t go away empty handed because this male Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) posed for me briefly.  Pronghorn Doe on a hilltop on Antelope Island - Nikon D200, f10, 1/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x Tc at 400mm, natural light I love Pronghorns (Antilocapra americana), they are beautiful, graceful and I photograph them at every opportunity. I sure thought this doe looked stunning against the snow covered mountains in the background while looking at me from a hilltop.  Loggerhead Shrike calling, Antelope Island - Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light I have been seeing more Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) calling from the tops of bushes and trees lately and have also been seeing them pair up. This one was calling in the early morning light and quite loudly too! They are such handsome birds.  Frosty Bison on Antelope Island - Nikon D200, handheld, f11, 1/250, ISO 400, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 90mm, natural light I had hoped to photograph Bison this winter where the where the foreground and background was all snow covered in beautiful, dramatic light. With the “Winter that Wasn’t” that didn’t happen. I did create some images though were the Bison had some frost on them. Maybe we will get one final snow before spring pushes Old Man Winter out the door. You just never know! Mia   20 comments  Antelope Island State Park, Bison, Coyotes, Horned Larks, Loggerhead Shrikes, Pronghorn, Tooele County, West Desert  antelope, Antelope Island State Park, Antilocapra americana, bird photography, birding, birds, Bison, Canis latrans, coyote, Eremophila alpestris, horned larks, Lanius ludovicianus, loggerhead shrike, mia mcpherson, pronghorn, Tooele County, utah, west desert, wildlife photography I’ve been seeing a pair of Coyotes hunting together regularly on the island, yesterday I was able to get a few images of one of them as it ran along the road.
Coyote on the run ~Antelope Island State Park, Utah A few weeks ago I saw what I believe to be this same pair mating so there might be pups around the first week of April. Normally I’d prefer to get a cleaner view of the Coyote for images but in this case I enjoy the habitat in the frame. A little bit more of a head turn would have been great to have more light on the Coyote’s face. Mia More Coyote images *Click on the images to view a larger version  |
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