Friday Photos | on the wing photography

Burrowing Owls – Friday Photos

By Mia McPherson, on April 6th, 2012%

I’ve selected a few Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) images taken a few years ago to post today.

Burrowing Owl juvenile - Nikon D200, f8, 1/400, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

This juvenile Burrowing Owl posed very nicely in the light of the rising sun on Antelope Island State Park. I love those bright yellow eyes and the long rictal bristles surrounding the curved beak.

Adult Burrowing Owl - Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/400, ISO 200, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

Adult western Burrowing Owls have paler plumage than the juveniles, lighter barring on the chest and always seem to me to be more serious looking than the juveniles who can at times appear to be quite clownish. I’ve heard them called the “Clowns of the western deserts”.

Peekaboo Burrowing Owl fledgling - Nikon D200, f8, 1/250, ISO 200, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

There used to be a burrow on Antelope Island State Park where Burrowing Owls could be seen and photographed frequently from the road but that appears to be no longer the case.

Last year there was an incident involving a few photographers walking on top of the burrow that may have caused the burrow to be abandoned, or worse; they may have crushed the burrow while walking on it and killed an adult that may have been inside because after that incident I only ever saw one adult owl near it and it seemed in distress for several weeks as it sounded frequent alarm calls from the tops of Sagebrush near the burrow. More about that incident can be read here and here.

It is my dream to find more Burrowing Owls to photograph this year. They are beautiful, interesting and entertaining owls to observe and photograph.

Mia

More Burrowing Owl images

Female Northern Harrier ~ Friday Photos

By Mia McPherson, on February 17th, 2012%

Just a simple image taken yesterday of a female Northern Harrier flying along a road for today’s Friday Photo.

Female Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) in flight
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 314mm, natural light, not baited

Harriers fly with great ease, it seems almost effortless to me. This female was coursing along a road in search of prey and gave me some great views of her pale yellow eye and the bold barring under her wings.

Mia

More Northern Harrier images

Double-crested Cormorant – Friday Photos

By Mia McPherson, on February 10th, 2012%

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, Florida
Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1/500, ISO 160, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 300mm, natural light

Double-crested Cormorants are the most widespread of North American cormorants where they are found in salt and freshwater habitats. Double-crested Cormorants pursue fish under the water and because of their webbed feet they can swim rapidly. They can live up to 18 years and their status is secure. I love how their dark plumage sets of the beautiful blue eyes and orangish colored facial skin.

Mia

More Double-crested Cormorant images

Loggerhead Shrike expelling a pellet – Friday Photos

By Mia McPherson, on February 3rd, 2012%

Loggerhead Shrikes are interesting birds, they are classified as song birds but they also have raptor like behaviors in my opinion. They are fierce, handsome and they can be quite vocal. I usually hear them just before I see them.

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) expelling a pellet ~ Davis County, Utah
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up

Yesterday I spotted this Loggerhead Shrike singing away on a branch of a tree, it was really raising a ruckus and it sounded like these Shrike’s do when they are in mating season. With as little “winter” as we have had this year maybe the birds and animals are getting confused.

Anyway, I loved the wonderful setting I found this bird in, out in the open, no distracting branches and the background was so distant that I knew I’d get a nice, smooth look to the background because of the bokeh of my lens. This might look like a typical Bird on a Stick (BOAS) set up shot because of that, but this is completely natural and taken in the wild.

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) spitting up pellet ©Mia McPherson
Loggerhead Shrike
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up

While watching and photography the Shrike’s behavior I could tell that it might regurgitate a pellet because it would open its bill without any sound which seems to be an early indicator of pellet expulsion. Pellet expulsion occurs rapidly so I didn’t want to take my eye off of the bird. I should have looked at my EV settings though. I really didn’t need +0.7 exposure compensation, I could have gotten away without making any adjustment to my compensation but I was able to reduce the brightness in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) easily because I shoot in RAW.

In the image above the pellet can be seen in the throat at the base of the bill, when this behavior happens the Shrike almost always has its head pointing down which often means the lack of light in the eye but in this case because of the angle of the sun I was able to get a catchlight.

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) spitting up pellet ©Mia McPherson
Loggerhead Shrike
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up

In the image above the pellet has moved further towards the tip of the bill and the bird appears to be struggling a bit less in the process.

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) spitting up pellet ©Mia McPherson
Loggerhead Shrike ~ pellet expulsion completed
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up

These images represent four out of five frame that I took while this Loggerhead Shrike was regurgitating the pellet. If I had reached for my coffee, sneezed or even glanced away from the bird I would have missed this behavior and getting these photographs.

Mia

More Loggerhead Shrike images

Merlin Perched in a Tree ~ Friday Photos

By Mia McPherson, on January 27th, 2012%

Merlin (Falco columbarius) perched ~ Davis County, Utah
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/800, ISO 800, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

Merlins are winter visitors in the Salt Lake Valley so I have just a few more weeks to attempt photographing them. Merlins are used to be called “pigeon hawks” because their shape and flight patterns are similar to pigeons. Merlins feed on small mammals, birds as large as doves and apparently they include bats in their diets.

Like other falcons Merlins are strong fliers, can turn very quickly and they can grab their prey in mid air.

I didn’t have the best of light when I photographed the Merlin in the photo above plus the fresh snow on the mountain slope behind the bird produced a high key effect but I liked the Merlin’s pose, the eye contact and the way the branches moved through the frame.

Mia