Black-Hawk Bonanza in Southwestern Utah

I spent a couple of days birding the extreme southwestern part of Utah this past week. I knew I'd see some good desert birds down there as well as some spring migrants and specialty birds in their usual places. However, I had one particular bird species at the top of my wish list for my two-day trip. I wanted to see a Common Black-Hawk. I love the raptors and the Black-Hawk is a rare one for Utah. I had barely seen one in a distant flight a couple of years ago and I've wanted better views and photos of one ever since. Several people had reported seeing Black-Hawks in two different locations down there recently so I knew my odds were a little better this time around.

One birding reference I have estimates that there are fewer than 300 nesting pairs of Common Black-Hawks in the United States. Most of those pairs are found in central and southeastern Arizona during the spring and summer months.  These hawks prefer to nest in remote cottonwood and sycamore trees along streams where they can hunt from a perch as they watch for frogs and others animals that exist around the streams.

My first two attempts to locate a Black-Hawk failed during my recent trip so I decided to try one of those locations again the morning of my second day. These hawks are known to soar most actively during mid-morning hours so that's when I arrived at the location. I didn't see a Black-Hawk when I arrived, but I did see a Peregrine Falcon pursuing a swallow. The Peregrine was unsuccessful in its attempt to catch the swallow so it took a perch on a rocky hillside high above me.

Peregrine Falcon Washington County, UT

I turned my attention to a stand of Cottonwood trees bordering a stream. No birds were soaring so I decided to view the stand of trees from different angles. That technique has been fruitful when looking for relatively large birds in trees on previous occasions.  A single perspective often leaves some exciting things hidden.

Several weeks ago I spotted a Swainson's Hawk perched on a power line. I had never really noticed large hawks perched on wires before and wondered how common that was. Boy was I surprised when I got my first unexpected look at the Black-Hawk I was seeking. I rounded a corner of the trees and there it was perched on a power line, right above an empty field.

Common Black-Hawk Washington County, UT

I couldn't believe I was getting my first close looks at a Common Black-Hawk. It was a beautiful bird. What I expected to be mostly black bird turned out to include some brown tones. I noticed it had relatively long legs for a hawk of its size. It flew into some trees and perched for a few minutes, gave some calls and then moved inside the trees.

Common Black-Hawk Washington County, UT

Common Black-Hawk Washington County, UT

I was so focused on the hawk that I almost wrote off a calling roadrunner as a cooing dove. After the Roadrunner cooed a few more times I snapped out of my Black-Hawk trance and realized I needed to make sure I saw at least one Roadrunner for my trip to the desert of southern Utah. Based on the way the bird was cooing I decided to look for it on a perch rather than on the ground. I spotted it perched on top of a distant Juniper bush at the very top of the hillside near the Cottonwoods. That's one of the joys of birding--understanding bird habitats and behaviors and hunting them down by ear then sight. The great thing about hunting for wildlife with the Nikon is that they all live to see another day!

Greater Roadrunner Cooing From the Top of Juniper, High on a Hillside Washington County, UT

I remembered that I had to check out of my hotel by 11 so I headed back to St George to get that done. After checking out of the hotel I decided to drive back to the Black-Hawk location and spend the last couple of hours of my trip studying the behavior of the Black-Hawk. This time around I was able to meet a friendly man who owned property in the area. He allowed me to view the location from a different perspective so I drove to the opposite side of the trees and realized the hawk had flown to where a second Black-Hawk was standing on the side of the nest. I kept my distance once I realized there was a nest and remained in my truck to avoid disturbing the birds.

Common Black-Hawk Washington County, UT

Seeing two Black-Hawks at the same time at a nest site was just part of the experience. The other part came when the property owner moved his donkeys, mules, and horses into the field from which I was viewing the hawks. The four-legged grazers were drawn like a magnet to my temporary post. They were not shy animals.

A Donkey Takes a Look at Me as I Have My Camera Recording a Common Black-Hawk

The image above provide a bit of the perspective I had on the nest. The nest was about forty feet above the ground and more than 100 feet from me. The little brown spot straight up from the camera and just above the door frame is the nest in the trees. 

One of the two birds perched in a tree across the field from me just before I left the area. The lighting was harsh and sort of washed out the colors. The bird was at rest for a while and eventually took flight. I took that as a cue for me to also take flight and begin the trip back home to northern Utah.

Common Black-Hawk Washington County, UT

Common Black-Hawk Washington County, UT

The Bird That Got Away: Technically Bad But Interesting Bird Images

I originally shared this post on Birding Is Fun!. I'm now sharing on my own blog.

Capturing a great nature shot--especially when the subject can fly, scurry, or run--is a combination of skill, determination, equipment, and plain old luck or timing. Photographers often sift through lots of bad images before they share their work with others. Thank goodness for digital images that can be captured and deleted at practically no cost in comparison to film.  I've heard some great photographers say they shoot from tens to hundreds of images to get the one they think is worth sharing.

I love capturing and sharing images of birds and other creatures and I typically share only my favorites unless the image is meant for functional purposes such as providing proof of a rare bird. This post, however, will be the exception to the rule. In other words, I'm sharing images that would have been really awesome had I been better prepared, had better equipment, lighting, timing, etc. I'll probably kill any chance I had for being published in National Geographic once this post gets out. What follows are images that could have been.

I was wandering around Silver Lake near Utah's Brighton Ski Resort one wintry morning when a Steller's Jay gave a call. I turned around just in time to fire off my shutter and capture the jay flying over head. It looks more like an x-ray than a bird in flight. The sky was gray so lighting, camera settings, and my preparedness were off for this one.

Steller's Jay at Brighton Ski Resort Near Salt Lake City, UT

I can't complain about the lighting for these images of a Red-shafted Northern Flicker that was coming in for a landing one sunny morning as I was strolling along American Fork Boat Harbor. I saw the bird coming, I've always wanted to capture an image showing the really cool salmon-colored feathers and this was my opportunity. Unfortunately, I didn't get a tight focus until right before it landed and the branches obscured what I was targeting.

Northern Flicker (slightly out of focus) American Fork, UT

Northern Flicker (missed opportunity) American Fork, UT

An Osprey caught me off guard once and left me with a slightly out of focus image of what would have been an awesome raptor shot. If I crop it any more than this you'll quickly see that the eyes were out of focus. When the subject's eyes are out of focus it just doesn't make the cut--unless your point is to show what can go wrong in nature photography. Which, I have to remind myself, is the point of this post.

Osprey in American Fork, UT

Several years ago my company moved me into a nice corner office on the top floor of our building which was right next to excellent habitat for birds, foxes, deer, marmots, and more. I had seen some Peregrine Falcons around the area so I kept my camera in my office in case the perfect opportunity arose. On the day the opportunity presented itself I had left my camera in my truck. I saw a Peregrine enjoying lunch on the balcony ledge outside my office. I ran to the elevator, dropped six floors, retrieved the camera  from the truck and then slightly opened the door while on my knees to get a direct line to the bird. I snapped what would have been very nice images if there weren't two metal wires running horizontally between me and the bird. Consequently, the falcon's chest and the lunch (a dove) were blurred.

Peregrine Falcon with Dove South Jordan, UT

I was quite "surprised" as I was driving through Surprise, Arizona on my way back to Utah one day. I saw a Greater Roadrunner, running rather greatly along the road. I suddenly veered to the shoulder of the road. I'm not sure if it was legal where I was driving, but my excitement about seeing a roadrunner up close for the first time overruled my concern for everything else going on around me. I scrambled to get the camera bag and turn on the camera. The excitement was so great I was fumbling with every move. The bird suddenly plucked a Round-tailed Squirrel from beneath the sand and proceeded to thrash it against the ground. Man, I wish I would have been on a higher shutter speed to get a clearer image. It was definitely a moment I'll always remember.

Greater Roadrunner With Round-tailed Squirrel Surprise, AZ

Speaking of roadrunners, I got some really nice images of two roadrunners near Lytle Ranch in southwestern Utah this spring. However, one image had a missed opportunity because I wasn't anticipating that the bird would leap from one branch of a Joshua tree to another. I guess you could use this image to study its feet. The tail doesn't look like much, but wait til you see the next image.

Jumping Greater Roadrunner Washington County, UT

I had an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk fly right passed me as it was pursuing its breakfast one morning in Tonaquint Nature Center in St George, Utah. I got some nice images of the bird perched, but this time, unlike the jumping roadrunner, this bird decided to dive down from a perch. Too bad people aren't more interested in seeing the undertail of Sharp-shinned Hawks.

Tail of Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk St George, UT

Townsend's Solitaires are often viewed as rather bland, gray birds. I've always wanted to get an image of a Townsend's Solitaire with it flashing it yellow wing patches. The bird below was actually perched and suddenly took flight. Unfortunately, the unexpected wing patch shot turned out to be more of the bird playing a mean joke on me. Not a bad shot of a branch however.

Townsend's Solitaire in Pleasant Grove, UT (it was perched when the image was framed)

Another unexpected jumping bird turned out to look like a Photoshop effort gone bad. I don't use Photoshop so this is probably just as good as if I did Photoshop the image all by myself. Trust me on this one.  It would have been a nice image if the bird would have sat still on the branch below it.

Jumping Townsend's Solitaire at Tibble Fork Reservoir Utah County, UT

How do you like this awesome Barn Owl shot? It was actually perched on a power line as I was driving to the grocery store. It started to fly when I pulled over for a photo. Apparently this owl doesn't know how to frame itself well for a photo. If you look closely you can see the little black spots on it underside. By the way, that's a beautiful snow-covered mountain in the background. Be honest now, doesn't it make you want to ski in Utah?

Missed Barn Owl Shot Pleasant Grove, UT

I was driving home from work a few years ago and saw not only my first Swainson's Hawk ever, but I saw several within minutes. They must have just gotten off the last flight from Argentina. That's where they come from you know. It was April and I think that is when flights from Argentina to Utah are heavily booked by Swainson's Hawks. I was also new to photography at the time and I think I had everything on my camera set to auto. Someone told me that was all I needed to do to get good photos. Must have been a poor job on the hawks part. I'm sure if it knew it was going to go viral on the Internet it would have focused itself and kept all of its body parts in the frame.

Swainson's Hawk Springville, UT

I don't know. Is this a bad image of a Killdeer? Nice colors I guess, but what did I do to scare it off in such a hurry?

Killdeer Spanish Fork, UT

When I saw this Pygmy Owl's eyes go wide and it mouth start to gape I knew a pellet was about to be ejected in some sort of projectile fashion. I pressed the shutter release and fired away in continuous shooting mode. It took longer for the bird to clear its throat than expected. Between the capacity of the camera's sensor and the memory card the frames per second choked and stalled right as the pellet came forth.

Northern Pygmy Owl Aspen Grove Lodge Utah County, UT

The best I could do was take a picture of the pellet after my friend traipsed through hip-deep snow to retrieve the pellet and place it on the road. The point of showing this image is to see if you can identify the species of bird or mammal inside.

Freshly Expelled Northern Pygmy Owl Pellet Aspen Grove Lodge Utah County, UT

Please don't give up on my work. I have desire and better equipment now. I'm getting better all the time. I promise I'll do better next time.

On Safari in a Gilbert, AZ Neighborhood

My wife and I made the 700-mile drive from our home in Utah to Gilbert, Arizona last Friday after hearing that our daughter had given birth to our second grandchild--a beautiful girl. She is a very content baby, to the delight of mom and dad. Mom and baby are doing very well. Big brother (2 1/2) loves his "baby sissy." Being a grandparent is the best!

During our visit to Arizona, we spent most of our time in the home, yard, and neighborhood, oohing and ahhing over the little one, playing with her big brother, and helping mom and dad fix and decorate around their new home. Our 2 1/2 year old grandson kept asking for "papa's nocalurs" (binoculars) after we used them to get a close look at a Desert Spiny Lizard on the wall in his backyard.

We went on a little safari several times during our visit. We re-discovered Desert Spiny Lizards (about 5 inches long from nose to vent--not including tail), Anna's Hummingbirds, and White-winged Doves around the yard.

Desert Spiny Lizard in Gilbert, AZ

Desert Spiny Lizard in Gilbert, AZ

Following the song of a White-winged Dove led to the discovery of a very weak looking nest barely held two young doves that would fledge a day later. I thought it was a peaceful sign to have two young White-winged Doves fledge from my daughter's tree while we were enjoying our two young grandchildren. 

I have to admit that the face of the young doves was a little odd at first sight. They were lacking significant facial feathers, had brownish rather than red irises, and dark rather than blue skin around the eyes. Here is an image of an adult for comparison with the fledgling images that will follow.

White-winged Dove in Gilbert, AZ

Before leaving the nest

Juvenile White-winged Dove Just Before Fledging in Gilbert, AZ

I tried to capture images of the young birds together and with a parent, but the many branches and leaves of the elm had me walking in circles to find a gap large enough to provide a view to more than just parts of birds.

Juvenile White-winged Dove in Gilbert, AZ

Juvenile White-winged Dove in Gilbert, AZ

Juvenile White-winged Dove in Gilbert, AZ

The only shot I managed with both parent and young in the same frame.

Adult and Juvenile White-winged Dove in Gilbert, AZ

Here are two other Doves seen around the neighborhood just as another round of Arizona's monsoon rain began to fall. While the temperatures were lower than we expected during our visit, the 70-80% humidity range had me thinking I was back home in Kentucky--sweating while standing in the shade.

White-winged Dove in Rain in Gilbert, AZ

White-winged Dove in Rain in Gilbert, AZ

I extended the safari to a nearby green space in my daughter's planned community one afternoon as I took a casual walk. It wasn't long before the the bird alarm sounded. I heard some Great-tailed Grackles getting upset over some sort of disturbance so I looked toward them and discovered a Greater Roadrunner on the ground beneath them. With little thought I ran back to the house as quickly as I could in my flip flops, grabbed my camera, and rushed back to the park. Fortunately, the roadrunner was still exploring the area under a Mesquite Tree when I returned. I was able to follow and photograph the fascinating bird as it moved along fence lines and climbed into and out of a tree.

Greater Roadrunner in Gilbert, AZ

Making its way into the Mesquite Tree

Greater Roadrunner in Gilbert, AZ

Greater Roadrunner in Gilbert, AZ

Standing directly below this bird allowed me to realize that roadrunners actually have eyelashes!

Looking up to Greater Roadrunner in Mesquite Tree in Gilbert, AZ

Greater Roadrunner in Gilbert, AZ

As I stood below and admired this bird I decided to capture images I may never see again. For some reason my attention was drawn to one of its legs--the vent was an unintended bi-product of the peculiar perspective.

Leg of a Greater Roadrunner Perched in Mesquite Tree in Gilbert, AZ

Tail of a Greater Roadrunner Perched in Mesquite Tree in Gilbert, AZ

I decided to capture this image when I saw the sunlight penetrating the skin of its chin. The eyelashes were easily seen again as well.

Looking up to a Greater Roadrunner in a Mesquite Tree in Gilbert, AZ

I can only imagine he was curious about what I was doing when he cocked his head and looked straight down at me from his Mesquite perch.

Looking up to a Greater Roadrunner in a Mesquite Tree in Gilbert, AZ

I managed to capture several final images as he made his way across a wall and out of sight.

Greater Roadrunner in Gilbert, AZ

It was a coincidence to have his tail feathers frame his eye in this image.

Greater Roadrunner in Gilbert, AZ

Greater Roadrunner in Gilbert, AZ

A final roadrunner image provided a view of several of his unique features before he made his way to another playground.

Greater Roadrunner in Gilbert, AZ

I wasn't sure what might follow such an encounter with a roadrunner, but I was pleased to meet a nice neighbor whose backyard bordered the green space. He had some bird feeders in his yard and shared a like-passion for birds and nature. We visited for a while as juvenile Verdins and Anna's Hummingbirds paid their visits above and around us. Young Verdins are quite plain in the appearance. They lack the yellow face and red shoulders of the adults

Juvenile Verdin in Gilbert, AZ

Here is an image of an adult I captured during a previous visit to the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch. It shows what the young birds lack in their appearance.

Adult Verdin at Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch Gilbert, AZ

The male Anna's Hummingbird below provided a great example of how the iridescent gorget and head feathers of these birds can change from dull and unassuming to a glaring rosy shield depending on our perspective and the influence of direct light. This is the same bird facing away and toward us.

Anna's Hummingbird in Gilbert, AZ

Anna's Hummingbird in Gilbert, AZ

When you need to have some quiet time to recharge your batteries or renew your appreciation for life, go on a little safari and observe the diversity and beauty of the world around you.