{"id":90347,"date":"2021-06-14T05:40:14","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T11:40:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=90347"},"modified":"2024-09-29T03:48:05","modified_gmt":"2024-09-29T08:48:05","slug":"the-price-i-paid-for-these-red-tailed-hawk-chick-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/06\/14\/the-price-i-paid-for-these-red-tailed-hawk-chick-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"The Price I Paid For These Red-tailed Hawk Chick Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FourFour Red-tailed Hawk chicks in their nest on a desert cliff \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday I went up to northern Utah hoping to take photos of some Red-tailed Hawk chicks that I know will soon be leaving their nest and I found them. I knew I was taking a risk photographing them because I am allergic to Deer Fly bites and during the summer there are always hordes of those nasty biting flies in the same area as the nest. Those flies zero in on me, I am a deer fly magnet.<\/p>\n

I did take loads of photos of the Red-tailed Hawk chicks in their cliff face nest. I spotted two Long-tailed Weasels, one of which was trying to raid a Bullock’s Oriole nest that I also found.<\/p>\n

And speaking of the Bullock’s Oriole nest that I found I also watched a Western Kingbird entering that nest several times.\u00a0 I saw the Kingbird take nesting materials into the nest and watched as the female oriole also entered the nest. Something odd was going on there and I wish I could sit and watch that nest to find out if the Western Kingbird takes over the nest or if the Bullock’s Orioles chase the kingbirds away. But I won’t be heading back there for a while. I shouldn’t go back there until the danger of me getting bit by the Deer Flies is gone.<\/p>\n

\"MyMy hand after getting bit by a Deer Fly- Samsung cell phone image
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I did get bit by two of the Deer Flies. One bit my left hand which started to hurt and swell soon after I was bitten. One of them also bit my left upper thigh through my heavy blue jeans and that bite also started to swell.<\/p>\n

The first time I had a reaction to a Deer Fly bite was August 1, 2012 on Antelope Island State Park. That time the bite was near my jaw and it caused me to swell from my jaw to my collarbone. Last year in July my right hand was bitten and it looked pretty much like the photo I took of my left hand yesterday. I’ve always had strong reactions to insect bites and stings and I have tons of experience in dealing with the reactions I get. I do everything I have been told to do by doctors including ice, washing the bites, and taking Benadryl. The bites hurt, swell, and eventually all the symptoms go away.<\/p>\n

This morning I can tell that the swelling from the bites I got yesterday has stopped and I am feeling less groggy than I did yesterday because I got a good night of sleep and don’t have any Benadryl on board right now. I’ll also watch carefully for any signs of cellulitis or infection for the next couple of days.<\/p>\n

I’ll be staying away from the location where I got bit when the Deer Flies are active from now on. Lesson learned. Short of wearing a Haz-Mat suit I know that spot isn’t safe for me. Besides, I can find other photography locations where I won’t get bit by Deer Flies.<\/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 facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I went up to northern Utah hoping to take photos of some Red-tailed Hawk chicks that I know will soon be leaving their nest and I found them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":135146,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_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":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,1148,449,26],"tags":[2663,4170,2497,4068,5131,5100,4098,4033,4169,2386,4067,4071,4075,9426,153,4209,165,4193],"class_list":["post-90347","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-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-jamaicensis","tag-buteos","tag-chicks","tag-cliff","tag-cliff-face","tag-desert","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-utah","tag-immature","tag-juvenile","tag-nest","tag-nestlings","tag-raptors","tag-red-tailed-hawk","tag-spring","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-tailed-hawk-chicks-in-nest-mia-mcpherson-6379.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-nvd","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":56673,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/03\/17\/nesting-red-tailed-hawks-plus-guidelines-on-photographing-nesting-birds\/","url_meta":{"origin":90347,"position":0},"title":"Nesting 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