{"id":67282,"date":"2020-03-23T06:02:34","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T12:02:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=67282"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:07:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T20:07:44","slug":"photographing-birds-during-social-distancing-plus-earthquake-aftershocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/23\/photographing-birds-during-social-distancing-plus-earthquake-aftershocks\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographing Birds During Social Distancing Plus Earthquake Aftershocks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MatedMated pair of Red-tailed Hawks perched close to each other – Nikon D500, f9, 1\/1000, ISO 800, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 21.4x TC, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The Covid-19 pandemic has made bird photography here in northern Utah and around the globe more difficult. Some places have strict lock downs where leaving your home could get you arrested. Some you can leave your home for essentials like going to the grocery store, the pharmacy, gas stations, and for exercise as long as social distancing is practiced.<\/p>\n

Here in northern Utah at this time I am only going to the grocery store when needed, the gas station, and for now I am getting out into the field to photograph birds because it isn’t hard<\/em> to practice social distancing here. We have plenty of open space.<\/p>\n

The locations I go to when I am photographing birds aren’t parks where I would have to get out and walk on a boardwalk, they are locations where I use a vehicle as a mobile blind. About the only time I get out of the vehicle is to answer the call of nature and frankly during this time I’d rather pee on the side of a road or behind a bush than use a public facility. I carry my hand sanitizer along for both. I also carry it for using after pumping gas and use it even if my hands were covered while pumping gas.<\/p>\n

\"Earthquake<\/a>

Earthquake Map March 23, 2020 – Click image to enlarge<\/p><\/div>\n

In the Salt Lake Valley the recent earthquake and the aftershocks have also made me think carefully about where I might go to look for birds to photograph in addition to social distancing because of the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

Yesterday I seriously considered heading out into the West Desert to look for birds and perhaps go as far as Simpson Springs because it looked like it might be sunny out there as opposed to the clouds I woke up to.<\/p>\n

Then I carefully considered where I would have to drive on I-80 because I would have to drive very close to where the earthquake activity has been occurring. I know there is a temporary bridge on I-80 in that general area that I would have to drive over plus I’d have to drive under several overpasses there to get back home.<\/p>\n

Both the bridge and those overpasses could be damaged with a strong aftershock. Those strong aftershocks are still happening, we had a 3.9 last evening that looks like it may have been just about a mile from the interstate.<\/p>\n

So on top of social distancing I have been thinking hard about how a larger aftershock might affect my ability to get back home after a day in the field.<\/p>\n

If I-80 were to close because of damage to the bridges or overpasses just to the west of where this map says Saltair<\/span><\/a> and after where SR201 merges with I-80 I would have to drive all the way around the Oquirrh Mountain Range to get back home. There is NO alternate route for I-80 in that area.<\/p>\n

\"RousingRousing Red-tailed Hawk on a wooden post – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 21.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m being safe, I am making informed decisions when it comes to getting out into the field. I’m practicing social distancing and will forego getting hugs from my friends when I see them out in the field even though I know that those hugs would feel wonderful in this time of worry, fear, and uncertainty because of the Coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n

In the event that our governor does force us into a total lock down I have enough images that I haven’t shared here that I could post everyday for well over a year and still not run out of photos. If it comes to that it might be fun to go back through older images and tell their real stories here. You see, I’ve been hoarding bird photos all along.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Red-tailed Hawk photos plus fact and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the event that our governor does force us into a total lock down I have enough images that I haven’t shared here on my blog that I could post everyday for a year and still not run out of photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":136614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1148,449,26],"tags":[4004,9383,9371,4021,2663,4170,2497,9386,9385,9368,9384,4033,4169,2386,9382,2240,2139,9387,4104,8300,4394,153,4209,3199,9377,8917],"class_list":["post-67282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-red-tailed-hawks","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-aftershock","tag-aftershocks","tag-bird-photography","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-jamaicensis","tag-buteos","tag-corona-virus","tag-covid-19","tag-earthquake","tag-earthquakes","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-utah","tag-mated","tag-mated-pair","tag-pair","tag-pandemic","tag-perched","tag-photographing","tag-post","tag-raptors","tag-red-tailed-hawk","tag-rousing","tag-social-distancing","tag-wooden-post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-tailed-hawks-mated-pair-mia-mcpherson-8841.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-hvc","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":82025,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/22\/mated-red-tailed-hawk-pair\/","url_meta":{"origin":67282,"position":0},"title":"Mated Red-tailed Hawk Pair","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 22, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I spotted and photographed a mated Red-tailed Hawk pair on the branches of a tree in front of a cliff in early morning light.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Red-tailed Hawk looking for nesting material, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-male-light-morph-mia-mcpherson-9672.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-male-light-morph-mia-mcpherson-9672.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-male-light-morph-mia-mcpherson-9672.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-male-light-morph-mia-mcpherson-9672.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":67440,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/28\/red-tailed-hawk-nesting-season-has-begun\/","url_meta":{"origin":67282,"position":1},"title":"Red-tailed Hawk Nesting Season Has Begun!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The female Red-tailed Hawk blended into the lichen covered cliff face so well that even with my sharp eyesight I didn't see her until the male landed next to her.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Red-tailed Hawk leaping off of a cliff face, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-tailed-hawk-female-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-9472.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-tailed-hawk-female-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-9472.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-tailed-hawk-female-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-9472.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-tailed-hawk-female-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-9472.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10206,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/11\/08\/red-tailed-hawks-mates-for-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":67282,"position":2},"title":"Red-tailed Hawks – Mates for Life","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"For several years now I have been observing and photographing a mated pair of Red-tailed Hawks in the Centennial Valley of southwestern Montana that have a favorite perch that I often see them on.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-tailed Hawks \u2013 Mates for Life, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/red-tailed-hawks-mated-pair-mia-mcpherson-4483.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/red-tailed-hawks-mated-pair-mia-mcpherson-4483.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Photographing the hawk with blooming wildflowers, in this case Gray's Biscuitroot.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Red-tailed Hawk with yellow wildflowers, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-male-grays-biscuitroot-mia-mcpherson-1932.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-male-grays-biscuitroot-mia-mcpherson-1932.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-male-grays-biscuitroot-mia-mcpherson-1932.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-male-grays-biscuitroot-mia-mcpherson-1932.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14626,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/03\/26\/the-courtship-and-copulation-of-a-pair-of-red-tailed-hawks\/","url_meta":{"origin":67282,"position":5},"title":"The Courtship And Copulation Of A Pair Of Red-tailed Hawks","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I was able to see and photograph a pair of Red-tailed Hawks courting and copulating in Tooele County, Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Red-tailed Hawk about to mate with the female, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawks-mating-utah-mia-mcpherson-9959.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawks-mating-utah-mia-mcpherson-9959.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawks-mating-utah-mia-mcpherson-9959.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawks-mating-utah-mia-mcpherson-9959.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}