Alaskan Grizzly Bears

Grizzly Bear photography in Alaska = The trip of a lifetime.
August 2023 and my top bucket list item was finally ticked. What an incredible adventure!

A huge mature Grizzly Bears with damp fur, from a morning of fishing in the Katmai mountain creeks

My wife Kimberly and I spent just over a week in Southern Alaska, flying out to different locations every day by float-plane, from our base on Lake Iliamna. Hiking through the mountains and wading through the creeks, looking for Grizzly Bears is a strange mixture of excitement, anticipation and fear. On three occasions Kimberly and I stood ‘large’ and spoke loudly as a 500-600lb Grizzly walked in our direction; less than 30’ away, as we waded through mountain creeks.

Travel by float-plane is mandatory to reach the isolated mountain creeks, where the Bears are busy chasing salmon

Thanks to my wife for this image. A huge Grizzly walking towards ‘me’, as we hiked through the Katmai mountain creeks in our oh-so-unattractive chest waders. These huge brown bears were comfortable getting within 30-40 feet of us - WE WERE NOT COMFORTABLE !

An Alaskan Grizzly Bear, catching a migrating sockeye salmon in a Katmai waterfall

As most wildlife photographers do, I had an image in my mind that I hoped to capture while in Alaska. A massive Grizzly Bear charging at 30mph into a creek and diving into a shoal of sockeye salmon ! Well I got lucky. Very lucky, as I managed to capture several images of charging and diving Bears.

This is the image I wanted from Alaska. An airborne Grizzly Bear, diving into a shoal of [red] sockeye salmon

During our time in the Katmai mountain creeks, we found found 3 momma bears, who had triplets ! Their 6-8 month old cubs are amazing to watch, especially when they try fishing for themselves.

A Grizzly Bear cub, with a large sockeye salmon that it caught all by itself, from the mountain stream

Family time. This momma bear and her 3 cubs are having some downtime after a busy morning fishing for salmon

Stood in the same mountain creek 60’ from a huge apex predator…. A nervous photographer BUT an incredible experience !

A massive Alaskan Grizzly Bear alongside a mountain creek in Katmai

This is a typical location where we found the big Brown Bears. Katmai, Alaska mountain creeks and rivers with low cloud, misty and raining with low light. The creek water depth varied from a few inches to waist high, in our ugly waders.

My wife Kimberly captured this image that summarizes our Alaskan adventure perfectly. A huge Grizzly Bear fishing in the shallow creek, light rain and mist and a float-plane in the distance navigating around the snow capped Katmai mountains.

This is a quick iPhone photo as we departed our base camp early one morning - Alaska is simply amazing

One of the float-planes and talented bush-pilots who flew us out to Katmai each day

After a day of hiking through Katmai mountain creeks, sometimes the water was 3’ deep, we still managed to find a smile.
Chest waders and clown-sized boots made it very hard to walk with our packs and equipment. We hiked almost 8 miles on this particular day and saw more than 20 different Grizzly Bears.

Osprey Making Babies

Michigan Osprey making babies on a beautiful spring morning, along the Detroit River, MI.

The male Osprey returns to the nest after catching a small fish from the Detroit River

It is that time of year when Mother Nature works miracles. After migrating North, back to Michigan, this pair of Osprey renew old bonds and make some more babies. I have been photographing Osprey for a decade now and I have not seen a pair that are so fond of each other. I guess they are ‘in love’ if raptors can ‘love’… This pair appeared to enjoy sitting together, flying together [real close] and they even shared a fish, which is not something that usually happens without a fight, until the chicks hatch, when the male will need to feed the whole family with fish, for a few weeks.

This pair of Osprey looked to really enjoy being together & flew side by side, very close. The Male is behind.

The Osprey did not spend long ‘in’ their nest. They sat on the perch alongside it and in the trees nearby. When the fish was caught, they took turns eating on top of a utility pole about 50 yards from the nest, maybe to keep the nest clean for the eggs which should be laid very soon.
On two occasions there were predatory ‘air-space’ intruders, near their nest. Another Osprey and a Bald Eagle flew within 100 yards and were quickly escorted away, by the protective male. He will need to keep doing this for at least the next 6 weeks or so…

The female Osprey roosted in a tree close to the nest before returning to sit with her partner.

In the 75 minutes I was in the area, these Osprey mated twice. It looks pretty scary with those huge talons on the females back. The male carefully closes his grip before landing extremely carefully and effectively makes a ‘fist’ so as not to hurt the female.

Male landing on the female, moments before mating

Michigan Osprey making babies on a beautiful spring morning.

Bald Eagle Photography at Lock and Dam No. 14

For any wildlife photographer visiting Lock & Dam No. 14 for the first time in search of the ‘killer Bald Eagle shot’, I thought I would share my views and observations in this blog to help prepare you for your visit and to maybe help manage your expectations.

Bald Eagle fishing at Lock and Dam No. 14, Mississippi River, Iowa

Location and Timing

Lock and Dam No. 14 is located near LeClaire on the Upper Mississippi River above Davenport, in Iowa. The lock is on the Iowa side of the river and is 110 feet wide by 600 feet long.  Lock and Dam No. 14 woodland preserve provides an important habitat for wintering Bald Eagles, which can be usually seen here in good numbers during the coldest weeks (10-30 raptors active throughout the day).

This is a great facility with a solid platform about 6’ above water level built for photography and bird-watching. The platform is a wooden construction about 150 yards long and is on the West bank, directly down river from the lock. It has a good protective metal hand rail. There is a parking lot close by with very basic but welcome public restrooms/toilets. There is also about 100 yards of riverbank and a boat ramp area to one side that are also options, but the snowy terrain can be a bit treacherous so walk carefully.

Sunrise from the Iowa bank of the Mississippi River at Lock & Dam No. 14

Although the platform/walkway sounds large, it can soon fill up with dozens of photographers and their large tripods, during the prime Bald Eagle weekends (late January through February).

The Eagles choose this particular location because during the winter freeze, there is ‘open water’ (not frozen) just down river from the dam and the fish that cascade over the dam are sometimes hurt or stunned, making the catch a little easier. There are also many tall trees along the river bank where the Eagles will watch for fish, roost and take their catch to eat.   They stay in this location until the weather warms and they start to display signs of mating rituals on the thermals and then move on to their warmer weather locales.

Early morning photography is challenging as the sun will rise from the opposite bank, directly into your face/lens. Even though the Eagles will be active, getting a good image in the morning is not easy. In my experience, the best time for eagle photography from the platform is from 14:00 through 16:30. Eagle fishing activity is usually good at this time too.

Bald Eagle action with the talons out at Lock and Dam No. 14

The other significant factor to consider is wind direction. Eagles take off into the wind (the same as aircraft) and especially with a fish in their talons. It is therefore desirable to have the wind on your back (coming from the West), otherwise you will only get ‘bum shots’.

Some patience is needed, as there is not constant action at Lock & Dam No. 14, but it is steady with occasional periods of explosive competitions for a fish between multiple raptors. Many photographers leave for a lunch break, but be warned, my best sequence was taken at 12:30 when I was alone on the platform, so be mindful what you may miss, just for the sake of that hotdog !  I bring my thermos and pack my lunch and snacks, so I cannot really advise on nearby food options, but I believe I heard some discussion about limited food vendors in the car park area.  I didn’t see these, so it may just be during certain days/time periods?

It is likely that you will see Eagle fishing activity both close to the bank and 150 yards out. I would recommend having a long lens set up on a tripod and a 200-300mm easily accessible for the explosive close up action.  There are likely to be several eagles flying back across the platform/parking lot to the trees with a fish tucked up under their tail feathers, so also watch out for those opportunities (image below).  I managed to capture several roosting images of the eagles in the tall trees while standing in the parking lot area.

A juvenile Bald Eagle flying back over the parking lot with a fish - Lock & Dam No. 14

Weather

During January & February in LeClaire on the river’s edge, it will be VERY COLD.

Ensure that you dress for the extreme cold with excellent footwear and multiple layers of clothing. A balaclava or ski mask with a beanie on top is strongly recommended as the wind is brutal. There is no shelter and that wind can be a constant challenge.  I was dressed for deep winter, but I still had some face chapping and felt the cold.  Using hand and foot warmers allowed me to last the full day. 

Accommodation

Although there are two hotels close to Lock and Dam No. 14, they had poor reviews.  I chose to stay at a Marriott Courtyard in Davenport just a few miles away.  I was pleased with the usual amenities with a good bed, very friendly staff, the bistro restaurant, and a hot bath to warm up after the long cold days.

Overall, the Eagle photographic opportunities here are the best I have found for the winter fishing shots - anywhere.  I rate it better than Scotland and Finland where I have also spent time photographing Eagles.  I will definitely be making future visits again to Lock and Dam No. 14 when the Eagles return in the winter of 2020.

Bald Eagle with a large fish, caught during the quiet lunch hour at Lock and Dam #14

Chasing Bald Eagle Flight Images

I’ve always been someone who writes a list and double checks it. In preparing for a long day at the lake in freezing conditions I wrote my list and started preparing a couple of days before-hand:
* Check the weather forecast (need good light)
* Charge batteries (20oF battery longevity is reduced about 40% from warm summer days)
* Check media cards are empty and formatted
* Clean lenses
* Check rucksack has basic essentials
* Check map for sunrise direction
* Check map for travel time from home
* Check weather App for sunrise time
* Check social media for latest images published from that area
* Get warm clothing ready and laid out
* Make lunch/snacks
* Get flask ready for 5:30am prep !

Juvenile Bald Eagle with a fish…

I’m not bad at early starts, but I still like to have everything prepared the night before so I only have to eat breakfast and make a hot drink for my flask and walk out the door.
With a sunrise of 08:00am I wanted to be on-site at 07:30am, so leaving home at 6:00am for the 80 mile drive.
The car temperature gauge was showing 20oF when I left home and the windchill was several degrees lower.
At least the roads were empty and the drive was trouble free. About 5 miles from the lake, I switched my truck to 4WD as there were a couple of inches of snow all around the area. After parking and loading up with my gear I popped a spare battery into my inside pocket to keep it warm for later in the day. I walked the 800 yards to the lake. A stealthy approach was impossible with fresh snow on top of the frozen footpath puddles. Just as I approached the lake, lots of birds took flight. About 50 Canada Geese, 2 Blue Heron and 5 Bald Eagles were airborne and I cussed the cracking ice under foot.
I settled down and tucked myself tight up against a large tree on the bank side. I usually wear camouflage winter clothing and today was no exception. In my opinion, bright clothing that doesn’t blend into the environment is a big ‘no no’ for this type of photography.
Amazingly with temperatures below 25oF for many days, and a wind chill in the low teens, this particular lake was not frozen. All the other lakes and lagoons in this area had an inch or two of ice on the surface.

A cold Michigan morning near Lake Erie…

Within 20 minutes the Bald Eagles were spotted in the distance through my 10x42 binoculars. There was a frozen river South of this lake and the Eagles were sitting on the icy surface, about 500 yards away from me. Soon the Eagles were flying over the lake in front of me, about 200 yards away. The light was still poor and a few ISO.6400 test images confirmed a grainy unusable set of images.
Shortly after sunrise, a small break in the low clouds over Lake Erie coincided with a Juvenile Bald Eagle circa 100 yards in front me. Although the overall light level was still relatively low, it provided the best opportunity of the day !

Juvenile Bald Eagle in flight…

Between 8:30am and 10:00am I was joined at this popular location by 7 more photographers who were all looking for those same flight images that I was after. I knew some of this crowd and was kindly introduced to the rest. Without exception, a really nice group of people.

Some legends… The Michigan Wildlife Photographers

Now, I’m not trying to be critical in anyway, but this large gathering happened to coincide with the Eagles moving further away. An occasional juvenile came to within 200 yards, but my conclusion was that a large group having some lively banter was not conducive to high quality Eagle photography.
Around lunchtime I was alone again as my friends went to get some lunch and to warm up. It was bitterly cold looking directly into a 12-15mph wind all morning.
As pulled myself up close to the tree again, the Eagle confidence returned quite quickly. These magnificent raptors started circling the lake a little closer than in the previous 3 hours.
Another okay image from the day was a feather perfect mature Bald Eagle ! The image is still somewhat soft, but a ‘keeper’. There were not many blue sky backgrounds, but this was one of those.

Bald Eagle in flight…

Some of the guys from earlier returned (after lunch) and some new friends too. The result was similar, with the Eagles taking a more cautious approach to their search for a fish or duck dinner.
Around 3:45pm I was alone again, but this time the only Eagles in sight were high up, returning from their hunting grounds to roost near the mighty Monroe Power Plant.
I decided to try the shores of Lake Erie for the last hour of usable daylight, so hiked over to the beach.
Unfortunately it was a similar situation with Eagles at high altitude returning to roost near the Plant.
With a couple of hundred Bald Eagle images on my media cards, I headed back to the parking lot and then the long drive home, to thaw out from my January chill at the lake.

Tahquamenon Falls in the Michigan Upper Peninsular

The stunning Tahquamenon Upper Falls, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsular. It looks like a CocaCola waterfall, but I am assured that it is from tannins leached from the cedar swamps which feeds the river.

Glorious Fall colors of Michigan

A short drone video of the amazing Kensington Metropark in Michigan, U.S. during Fall 2018

Beautiful Red Kites - Video

A short video clip of a Red Kite feeding in a local meadow, on a windy day.  A second Red Kite attacks the raptor from above:

Recorded with a Canon 7D mkII and a Canon 300mm f2.8 L series lens

Buzzard - Rural Predatory King & Queen

In the past few weeks, I have spent a huge amount of time studying why the Red Kites have not been feeding as regularly as they had been.  I believe that the pair of local Buzzards may be part of the answer to the recent change in behaviour.
In my early days of wildlife photography, I believed that in mainland England, the Buzzard was top of the food chain and was the dominant raptor.  I then observed some contradictory displays with  some Red Kites dive-bombing a feeding Buzzard and Crows attacking the Buzzards in flight.  There was not much in the way of retaliation from the Buzzards, which made me think they weren't as tough as I had imagined.  I was wrong.

In the last few days I have seen an incredibly dominant display by the Buzzards, which has elevated them [IMO] once more to the very top of the English  birds of prey food chain.

A very smart and cautious raptor, this Buzzard sat watching me as I watched him for circa 3 hours without moving.  He always stayed hidden in the foliage of a near-by tree, using his excellent camouflage, until he at last popped out onto this branch [above].

I watched the male Buzzard flying from high in a tree straight towards the ground, where it collided with huge force into a female Pheasant.  This impact resulted in both birds bouncing up off the ground about 3' in the air and then immediately launching into a flight-chase through the woods at the edge of the meadow.
On another occasion the male Buzzard set off from his watchful position and chased a pair of Crows around the meadow with an amazing display of aerial dominance.  I was impressed at the agililty and acrobatic capabilities of the large raptor, with the corvids fleeing quickly into another field.

Two Red Kites had been patiently circling some food in the meadow and had landed in a nearby tree, watching and waiting for their chance to feed.  About 20 minutes after they landed in the tree, I saw a Buzzard arrive in the next tree along.  It just sat there without making any fuss or any noise.  The two Red Kites flew off and didn't return for the rest of that day [several hours].  The Kites clearly understood the 'pecking order'.  No challenge was necessary.

This beautiful Common Buzzard is King of the meadow and the surrounding areas.  No other bird or animal comes close to the strength and aggression of this raptor.

The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium to large raptor with a range that covers most of Europe and Asia.  The Buzzard measures between 40 - 60cm in length with a 110 - 140cm wingspan.  This raptor can weigh 0.4 - 1.4kg.  The Common Buzzard is an all year resident of the UK.

A National Newspaper Publication - At Last

It was well worth the wait !

After spending the last decade trying to improve my wildlife photography skills to the highest possible quality level, my Osprey fishing images made a national newspaper.  A 2-page centre spread no less. The Daily Star "Poster Power".

The caption reads:
BREAKFAST ON THE GO:
An Osprey lifts off from a loch near Aviemore in the Highlands after diving into the water (inset) to grab a trout.
 

Daily-Star-Centre-Spread-May-1st-2018

I am so happy that a very wide audience will have seen one of my best images across the centre pages of their newspaper on May 1st 2018.

Light, Patience and Luck

Light is everything...

Every wildlife photographer I know talks about light.  Some do not like the harsh bright sunlight and actually prefer cloud cover, some are fortunate enough to live in Florida, where light levels are incredibly high. Myself, I live in the UK, where it rains almost every day, with grey skies and very low light levels are normal.  Thank goodness I am moving to the U.S. next year :-).

I am learning, after more than a decade of wildlife photography, to give up with weather forecasts as they are wrong 9 times out of 10 on this tiny Island in the North Sea.  I am also learning [very slowly], that you do not need clear skies all day.  It only takes just a brief break in the clouds, while the wildlife is active. A good example is my most recent Kingfisher shoot, where I managed to capture my best Kingfisher image, and hence the reason for this blog.

My main photographic passion for the last 7-8 years has been Kingfishers.  It started with me being thrilled just to see one of these incredible birds, but I moved on to perched images and then a ‘Kingfisher with a fish’.  Next I wanted to try and capture a Kingfisher hovering just before the dive [with a little wing tip blur]. Of course, we always try to improve and after this I wanted to 'capture the moment' when the Kingfisher explodes from the water with a fish with splashes and water droplets everywhere.

To freeze a Kingfisher in its ascent from the water, back to its favourite perch, you need at least 1/2500 second shutter speed, faster is better. Depending on the quality of your camera body, an ISO of less than 4000 is highly desirable [very sensitive topic for some].  The level of background ‘noise’ is always debated, but I feel that high ISO noise in the background is poor.  Aperture [depth of field] should in my opinion be between 6 and 8, to get the Kingfisher eye and bill in sharp focus, along with the fish.

So what does all this mean ?  Well you need a high level of ambient light, especially when you consider most of this photography is taking place in a dark tree lined stream, pond or river.

I have learned to use periods of cloud cover and low light levels to practice my technique and to study the habits of the Kingfisher.  I watch how it seems to stand tall and hold its breath moments before diving. By using this 'poor light time' wisely, I have developed some patience to wait for a break in the clouds that will allow the camera settings discussed above, to be realised.

During my most recent shoot, I had more than six hours of cloud cover, forcing my ISO setting up above 8000.  Then, when there was a short break in the clouds, I was able to adjust to the ideal camera settings of 1/3200 sec, ISO 1250 and aperture of 7.1.  The result is my best Kingfisher image, shown below in 72dpi low resolution [due to continued theft of my online images].  Note everything is © copyright protected for the same reason.  You will need to take my word for it, but it looks awesome in a 3' 300dpi print.

                        ©  A male Kingfisher exploding from the water with a fish - My best Kingfisher image so far...  ©

I mentioned luck in the title of this blog, because even with great ambient light and all of the correct camera settings, you still need a lot of luck. A few examples of the luck you need are shown below: 

1. Kingfisher eye/s open
2. Fish facing the correct way or at least looking like a fish in the case above !
3. Water droplets not obscuring the features of the bird and fish
4. Good wing position
5. Oh, and actually in focus - sharp

It has taken me between 7 and 8 years to get this image that I dreamed of, now what is next ?

Mike

Thinking like a Kingfisher !

After tracking down and finding a local brook where Kingfishers frequent, I thought I was set up for many months or even years of great images.  How wrong could I have been ?

And then they were gone !  What happened ? Could they have succumbed to a predator ?  Both the male and female ?  Possibly while in their nest [tunnel] ? I was quite aware that the pair of Kingfishers should have been building their nest and maybe even sitting on eggs around this time... But if this were the case, the male should be fishing for two.  For several weeks, there was no sign and more worryingly, not even the sound of Kingfishers along the brook where they had [not so long ago] been fishing most days.

Everyone who has tried to track down and photograph Kingfishers in the wild will know it is far from easy. In my opinion, Kingfishers are one of the most alert and nervous birds in the UK. Had I scared them off ?  This is quite possible as I tried to get closer and find that perfect perch with a great featureless background ! 

I decided I had to try and think like a Kingfisher !!

To the best of my knowledge, Brown Rats, Mink and maybe Sparrow Hawks are the most likely predators in Oxfordshire. If I were a Kingfisher, how would I avoid being caught by one of these threats ?  Then it dawned on me...  The area that I had previously been successful had the banks cleared a couple of months ago, but now the grass, trees and nettles were flourishing in the spring conditions and were overgrown, creating perfect hiding places for predators to wait and strike. So I went about cutting back the over-grown bank side vegetation in the small area for which I have access.  Within 24 hours the Kingfishers were back fishing as they were before the period of silence.  Both male and female choosing their favourite perches as if they had never been away.  While I am thrilled to see they are both alive and doing well, I am concerned to see the female fishing.  I read on social media that plenty of Kingfishers around the UK are sitting on their eggs right now.  I hope this pair are just a little late and that I start to see that tell-tail sign of a fish being taken away from the brook with its head furthest from the male Kingfisher, ready to pass to it's mate.

The male Kingfisher in the image above returned after clearing an area of the overgrown bank-side vegetation.
Canon EOS 5D Mk.iii  Canon EF500 + 1.4 Ext = 700mm  f8  iso400  1/1250 sec - Early May 2017

Fingers crossed these wonderful birds do raise a couple of healthy chicks this spring.

Red Kites 'a plenty'...

I am blessed to live in Oxfordshire, when it comes to Red Kites.  They are plentiful and quite reliable if you set out to photograph them.  The biggest challenge is to find a spot of blue sky for your background, as a typical English white featureless sky will 'bleed' into the head and neck feathers resulting in a wash-out.

Right now [April] the Kites are flying around our skies in pairs and the occasional trio [usually a second male, hoping to move in on the female after a squabble]. Today in Abingdon, there were two groups of Kites.  Each group consisted of three pairs.  Amazing to watch them using the thermals to glide around the countryside.

Below are some images of my local raptors.

Taken this evening, April 4th 2017.  Abingdon, Oxfordshire.  500mm  f4  ISO.400 1/1250sec

This Red Kite was very low and I cropped both wing tips using the 500mm lens, but great to see a sharp close-up of the face.  Look at that eye !  500mm  f4  ISO400  1/1250sec

Classic Red Kite in flight, unusually against a blue sky.  500mm  f4  ISO400  1/1600sec 

Local Kingfishers

For the last month, I have started to work on my own local patch of middle Oxfordshire.  I am attempting to photograph the fast and elusive Kingfishers in their natural habitat.  They are one of my favourite birds, as I find them fascinating to study and a challenge to photograph.
It is early days, but so far so good, with a few sightings and some early images taken (albeit with poor backgrounds and far from ideal lighting).

The small river I am focussing on is well away from any human activity, so these amazing creatures are very nervous.  I will have to be very quiet and stay well hidden to be successful. Although the beginning of Autumn is usually a slow time for Kingfishers, the birds I have been watching are very busy and I estimate each bird is taking at least 10-15 fish a day.  First activity starts before sunrise, which doesn't seem right for a bird that needs to clearly see it's breakfast before it can dive ! 

I will no doubt update the local Kingfisher endeavour over the coming weeks, as I plan to focus all of my attention here for a while...

This image above is one of my local male Kingfishers, in a typical pose, forcing me to shoot into the sun light, causing the very dark background. The small white tip on the end of the bill indicates that this is a juvenile bird, maybe 14-18 months old, but not fully mature yet. Its plumage is in very good condition [feather perfect], so I am pleased it seems to be in good health.   This image was captured at at 500mm, f4, iso1600 and a shutter speed of 1/800sec.  My Canon 1D-X and Canon EF-500 telephoto lens were sat upon a large bean bag for stability.  Time stamp was 10:07am.

Field Craft Maybe Improving...

It may just be that I had a lucky day, but I'd like to think that my field craft is slowly improving as I learn what to look for and where our wildlife hunts for food. Combine this with a greater situational awareness and - well, I struck lucky this week in finding a busy Little Owl.

It is a strange feeling which I'm sure some of you have had, when you feel that someone, or something, is watching you.  It is fair to say that the Little Owl spotted me long before I spotted it.  Even with my best Realtree camouflage gear on and being as quiet as I could, there it was, peeking around the side of an old tree, that was covered in ivy:

Hide n Seek with a Little Owl

I already had my 500mm lens fitted on the 1D-X and mounted on my Wimberley & Tripod, so I managed to shoot a few images before the Little Owl disappeared.  A few minutes later it popped up several feet away on a clear branch, where I managed to get another few images. I then chanced my luck and quickly popped on a 2x convertor and increased the ISO to try and fill the frame a little more.  I was really surprised when the Little Owl remained in place and allowed me to take another half a dozen images, before it dropped down into the long grass below.

A Little Owl (wild) - 1000mm, f8, ISO 1600 1/500sec - Canon 1D-X, Canon EF500 f4, Canon 2x II + some luck

There is a certain satisfaction when you go out to find an Owl in a new location and are actually successful.  It doesn't happen too often for me.    Mike

Where are the Owls

Along with many other Midlands based wildlife photographers, I am struggling to find the rather elusive Short Eared Owls (SEO) this winter.  The usual hot spots have had a few showings and indeed, I have seen the SEO at distance and at dusk on a few occasions.
The weather forecast was looking good, so I decided rather than a late afternoon session as usual, to try the other end of the day - sunrise.
My drive to the unkept field where I hoped to find the Owls hunting at first light takes me just under and hour, so setting off at 06:15am to be in place and set-up by 07:15am.  Expectation during the drive was high as the sky was almost cloud free and the temperature was just about 1oC.  PERFECT.
No sooner had I clipped the 1Dx and 500mm lens into my Wimberley, I saw the flight of an Owl in the distance.  Damn !  The light was still poor.  ISO 1000, speed set at 1/1000/sec, a quick check of a test image was looking dark on the back of my camera body.  It will be okay.
A couple more quick test images, zoom in and see what was flying - a Barn Owl - Wow !

A Barn Owl hunting before sunrise - 500mm f4, ISO 1000, 1/1000sec

The Barn Owl was flying and diving into the long grass, over and over.  I counted 7 unsuccessful dives, but all of this taking place over 100 yards from my position.  The Barn Owl stayed low and sometimes dived within one or two seconds of the previous dive.  Lots of voles I have to assume.

A wild Barn Owl hunting before sunrise on a cold winter morning.

The Barn Owl had flown back and forth along the far edge of this field twice now.  I glanced over my shoulder to see that in another minute or two the sun would appear over the horizon and the available light should improve dramatically.  It was starting to look good.  I just needed the Owl to fly a little closer.  Even at 75 yards, I would achieve a good image using the 500mm lens.

And then it disappeared off into the small copse behind the field.  The sun finally rose but just too late.  

I waited another two hours, enjoying a healthy and happy conversation with a local farmer who was walking his gorgeous Boarder Collie.  No more Barn Owls and also no sign at all of the Short Eared Owls either.

As in previous blogs, the images I captured this morning are not worthy of a place in this website gallery, so will only appear here in this blog.

Thank you for reading.  Please click the like button to the right of this text if you enjoyed reading this blog.  Mike

Cumberland River, TN

The Cumberland River is a circa 700 mile long waterway that skirts Nashville, Tennessee, US and is a wildlife haven. A first place to visit for this photographer, each winter.
This year the weather is so mild (+74oF) that the wildlife activity was different from previous years and the hunt for food was nowhere near as frenzied as usual (for late December).
A focus on the Great Gray Heron, but always with a watchful eye to the sky, for a pair of Bald Eagles that have their nest close-by.
The Heron Rookery had around eight birds and the warm weather made this look like Natures Airport with birds flying in and out constantly.

The Bald Eagles were seen twice this morning, but both times at long distance and the images were poor quality and not worthy of a place on this wildlife gallery website.  The Cumberland River Heron rarely disappoint the travelling photographer and although less active than they are in freezing conditions, a few keepers were possible on this trip.

It is not an easy life

At sunrise the big Red Deer Stag is manoeuvring his large herd of hinds away from the well worn 'walker footpaths' and into the large open field. He seems frustrated at the last two or three to follow him and snorts hot breath from his nose and mouth in disappointment.
At the top corner of the field, around 75 yards from the herd another male strides into view. The confrontation is not a physical one (that most photographers dream of witnessing), but a stare and an aggressive stance, is enough to deter, this time.

During the next three to four hours as I watch the behaviour of this dominant male stag through my 500mm lens, I cannot help but feel sorry for him.  He is constantly on the move, rarely stopping to eat grass or vegetation like the hinds, until eventually he clears some ground and sits down. At each end of the field there is a challenging male of similar age, sat watching and waiting.  This large dominant Red Deer is clearly exhausted, his eyes close with long delayed blinks and his neck seems weak at holding up those large and rather long (12 point) antlers and at one moment he starts to lay his head down to sleep, but quickly and abruptly sits bolt upright again. 

Moments later he is up again and walking in between his hinds, tasting the air and checking out the safety of his herd.

This constant patrolling of the herd never stops while the sun is in the sky, even though the hinds spend a lot of time sitting and watching, along with the two stags that are waiting for their chance to move in.

It is not an easy life...

For more images taken on this day, please follow this link:
http://www.wildlife-gallery.com/deer/

Kingfishers and Raptors

I'm not sure if Kingfishers will always be my favourite topic to photograph, but these stunningly colourful birds have been right up there in my top three for the last few years (along with a couple of raptors: Osprey and Bald Eagles).
My most recent Kingfisher shoot, was rather disappointing.  I only saw the juvenile male Kingfisher twice in six hours and it only had one dive.  It was successful in catching a small fish, but it flew off up-river to swallow the fish, rather than sitting exposed and vulnerable.
It did sit on its perch for a while enabling a few nice portraits, but I quickly realised what the problem was.

Overhead there were two rather vocal predators that preoccupied the young male. Instead of looking down for a fish meal, the Kingfisher was looking skyward as a Peregrine Falcon and then a large Common Buzzard took turns in frightening this beautiful Orange and Blue fisher (see image below of the Juvenile Male Kingfisher looking up - not down).

Undeterred, I will return to the river again soon, hoping to get that 'amazing moment' captured on digital media - forever.

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A juvenile male Kingfisher looking skyward at the predators instead of hunting for its fish meal.

A perfect morning for Red Kites - Not !

Watching the weather forecast all week and looking forward to some Red Kite photography on Saturday morning.  The weather was predicted to be clear skies and warm from sunrise at around 5:55am   :-)

Bait prepared, lenses cleaned, batteries charged, snack and a drink in the fridge.
Alarm goes off at 4:15am, up with a spring in my step and chasing through the morning routines...

Breakfast eaten, gear in the car and off.  40 minute drive to my favourite place for these local raptors. Arriving half an hour before sunrise, there was complete cloud cover with hardly any breeze.  The Met Office got this part of the day wrong.  Undeterred I set up my 500mm lens with a 1.4 Ext and my Canon 1D-X body, then put the bait in my usual place and sat down to wait...

And wait...

And wait...

After 3 hours I had not taken a single Red Kite image.  This is unheard of in this part of the world, usually there would have been 2 or 3 Kites circling the bait and spreading the word to their mates.  NOTHING.  The weather had improved and there were blue skies a gentle breeze and about 25oC.

7 hours and just a couple of long distance images taken.  A complete waste of time.

I had my suspicions why the Kites were not feeding and on my journey home, I was proven right (for once). The farmers were very active in the fields today and the Red Kites were following the tractors around for their favourite food - worms !  One field (where I couldn't stop the car) I saw more than 6 or 7 Kites just above the Tractor.  I hope to learn from the events of today, but I have a feeling this will not be the last time I head home disappointed and without any keepers.  The image below is the best of a bad bunch :-(

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