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Chukar Yesterday was gorgeous, a few clouds to break up a solid blue sky, temps that were warm enough to not need a jacket, beautiful light and no lake stink blowing onto the island. It felt like spring, it smelled like spring and it even sounded like spring with all the birds adding to a merry chorus. It was delightful! Even this Chukar seemed to be shrugging off the winter doldrums. Or maybe it was airing out its arm (wing) pits. Mia    Black-billed Magpie stretching – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 328mm, natural light, not baited or called in There was a bit of sun yesterday between snow falls and we headed out to Antelope Island hoping there would be light and birds. There was light and a few birds, this Black-billed Magpie was one of them. I dislike the fact that the tips of tree’s branches show that they have been clipped, that was done before the tree was planted last year. I do like the position of the wings, the fanned out tail and the light in the bird’s eye. Snow is projected today, we’ll see though. Mia More Black-billed Magpie images Landing Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) This morning the bird photography was slow on Antelope Island State Park until Ron spotted a Long-billed Curlew perched on a boulder below us. We hurried down the hill and saw not just the curlew perched on the boulder but also spotted a juvenile foraging in the vegetation below the adult. Thanks Ron! I don’t normally see Long-billed Curlews perched high up, most of the time they are at ground level. I believe that they perch on items to keep an eye on their chicks. The adult above took flight then landed back on the boulder twice while we were photographing it and the juvenile bird. In the photo above it was making the second landing.
Juvenile Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) The juvenile Long-billed Curlew was foraging and preening in the vegetation on the ground below the adult perched on the boulder and at times it was hard to see it through the grasses and dried vegetation but it did give us the opportunity to photograph it a few times while it was less obscured. The tiny black specks in the frame above are flying insects. The adults have very long, curved bills though when they hatch their bills are short and show far less of a curve. I thought I would only have a few images to cull because it was so slow at the start of the morning due to lack of birds and poor light. Boy, was I wrong! What a nice surprise. Happy Friday! Mia * More Long-billed Curlew photos here  One comment  Antelope Island State Park, Friday Photos, Long-billed Curlews  adult, adult plumage, Antelope Island State Park, bird photography, birds, boulder, chick, davis county, flight, flying, foraging, immature, juvenile, landing, long-billed curlew, Mia McPherson, nature, Numenius americanus, photography, shorebirds, utah, wildlife, wing lift |
Rough-legged Hawk preening Visit my photo galleries by clicking the image above
Photographing a Tricolored Heron from a tidal lagoon 
 
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