Photographing birds takes time, serious study, planning, preparation and organization. Good Bird Photography is more challenging simply because you have less control over your subjects. And you do not have to hide in blinds or cars or tiptoe quietly in an attempt to get closer. Generally photographing people doesn't require you to sit around for hours with your thumb hovering over your shutter remote. You can place people in the shade, arrange them the way you want so the light is perfect, tell them to relax, make them smile, take a hundred photos and they will stay put. Photographing birds is not like photographing people. This blog is about how I go about observing and photographing a wide variety of wild birds. And then we sit and wait (and hope) for the birds to come. In all kinds of weather, we keep going back, changing our locations, positions and angles, camera settings, lighting, and photography equipment. One observation and one photograph simply will not do.
I’m hoping that the crows haven’t also designated this dead tree on the dune as their raptor hotspot.īird lovers and photographers are generally patient, quiet and tenacious people. Makes me wonder why they harass raptors that specialize in eating other birds. Mobbing CrowsĬrows are known for their intelligence and curiosity. Sadly, the peregrine falcon did not stick around for me to get more than one or two shots. Crows were also mobbing this much faster, more powerful, mid-air hunter of other birds. This Peregrine was most likely migrating south along the Lake Michigan shoreline. They perch on tall buildings, nest on the building’s ledges and feed on doves, blackbirds, jays, pigeons and starlings. In an effort to help restore the population of this raptor, peregrine falcons have been “transplanted” in a lot of different cities.
Falcon vs hawk iso#
ISO 250 1/2500 Second f/5.6 Peregrine Means Wanderer Adult Peregrine Falcon Perched on a Dead Tree Overlooking Lake Michigan Peregrines are about the same size as Cooper’s Hawks – anywhere from 15″-20″ long, head to tail. I stopped the car and shot this image from my car window. I was driving down Lakeshore Drive when I notice her on my hotspot. The second surprise visitor to my hotspot was a Peregrine Falcon. I don’t think it was my camera and me that caused him to fly off so soon. This particular juvenile Cooper’s hawk was being insufferably scolded, harassed and pecked by the crows. His arrival wasn’t a surprise because he was heralded in by a mob of loud crows. I pressed the shutter once and he was gone. This Cooper’s Hawk perched on the tree for less than a minute. Cooper’s Hawk, Perched on a Dead Tree Overlooking Lake Michigan These small hawks are also known to hunt smaller birds at bird feeders.
According to the experts, accipiter hawks have the kind of wings and tails that allow them to easily maneuver in tight spots, like wooded areas. The Cooper’s Hawk (about the size of a crow) is an “accipiter” hawk. Both of these raptors regularly hunt other birds. My two newbie raptors, perched on that long dead tree, turned out to be a Cooper’s Hawk and a Peregrine Falcon. In addition to being a valuable resource for bird photographers, it’s a great place to learn bird identification skills. NOTE: If you haven’t already, take a look at this informative site. The expert birders at the website (under the “Help Me Identify A Bird” tab) came to the rescue. – A Valuable Bird Identification Resource So far, I have been lucky enough to photograph two raptors perched on this tree that I could not initially identify and have never photographed before. Also, this tree is situated so I can get a fairly close shot if I happen to be on the road in my car with my camera. This deck is built into the dune, and puts me at eye level with the top most branches of the dead tree. I’m lucky enough to have my neighbor’s permission to setup my equipment on her family’s beautiful deck. I’m designating this dead tree as my hot spot for photographing raptors. This tree is rather stark looking, with no leaf cover, so it’s perfect for raptors to perch upon while hunting for mammals, fish, and other birds. One such hot spot for me is a large, long dead tree, standing strong in the dunes overlooking Lake Michigan. However, I think every photographer needs to search out one special birding spot that’s close to home, not crowded with people, and guarantees a variety of visiting birds during the Spring and Fall migration seasons. I’ve been to a few of these, and they are very fruitful. There are lots of “Birding Hotspot” recommendations on the web that list the best bird watching/bird photography destinations. Bird Photographers are always looking up and around for locations upon which birds frequently perch – preferably locations that give the photographer a clear shot of a handsomely posed bird.
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