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.
Male American Kestrel in low lightI prefer the golden light that is often talked about but I also appreciate images that are taken in low light for the subtle tones and the mood that low light can add to a frame. This image was taken on a foggy, cold morning but it must not have been too cold since there isn’t hoarfrost clinging to the perch.
I’m hoping this post is published this morning, some of you may be aware that I have been having issues with my hosting provider and the service they are supposed to be providing which is 99% up time.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
Northern Rough-winged Swallows have a wide range in North America but because of their drab colors they are often overlooked by bird photographers, they are the ”plain brown bird” of the swallow family. Northern Rough-winged Swallows breed from Costa Rica to southern Canada and coast to coast in the U.S.
In 2011 I spotted this Northern Rough-winged Swallow perched on an old fence post at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area next to Glover’s Pond as it rested in between aerial foraging activity.
I love swallows because they eat billions of bugs, the biting kinds included and anything that eats mosquitoes is a hero in my book!
Loggerhead Shrike portrait – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 357mm, natural light
I’m used to seeing Loggerhead Shrikes all year round here in northern Utah but they have been MIA for quite some time. My last sighting was about two weeks ago of a single bird and before that it had been at least since late December or January since I saw one. Their absence might have been caused by the harsh winter we had combined with the heavy snow that would have reduced their opportunities to capture their prey which in the winter would consist of small rodents like voles.
Fluffed up Loggerhead Shrike - Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
I’ve been waiting for them to show back up and to see them perched on top of Sagebrush or Rabbitbrush singing. It is difficult to think of them as a songbird because they act like tiny raptors at times but they are indeed songbirds. Take a listen here about halfway down the page.
I’ll be glad to see them again when they are no longer MIA.
Barn Owl flying near a hill – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4 TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or called in
I wanted to share a few more Barn Owl images this morning that I like. Even though the Barn Owl is small in the frame in this file I like it because it shows more of the owl’s habitat than a close up would.
Barn Owl flying close up – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 500, +1.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4 TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or called in
And this one is a close up of a Barn Owl flying past me, I get more of a sense of the size of the bird and a great look at its very dark eye.
Perched Barn Owl – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4 TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or called in
Perched Barn Owl images might not be as dynamic as those when the owl’s are in flight but I enjoy how this shows the owls’ shape, plumage patterns, the profile of the face and just a hint of blood on the owl’s bill.
Barn Owl flying over a snowy wetland – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4 TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or called in
I love the pose as well as the background in this image, the great view of the talons and the look in the bird’s eyes.
Barn Owls fascinate me, perched, in flight, asleep or huddled against the cold.
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
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
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 beauty of Flaming Gorge - Nikon D300, f8, 1/500, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 95mm, natural light
