Tag Archives: Hawks

Happy New Year 2020

Happy New Year

Wishing all of you an amazing 2020!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!

Did you make any resolutions?  Do you make resolutions? Do you follow through with those resolutions?  

Me?  No.  I don’t make resolutions so to speak, but I have a conversation with myself.  I try to remember what “didn’t work” the last 365 days.  And how can I change things to make them work for the new year.  There are those times when I need to remind myself, that what I was about to say was “so last year” and remember what I told myself.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.  It’s all dependent on the situation.  Being a red head, sometimes the short fuse gets lit and I don’t stop and think before I react.

 That said, I also like to attempt to learn something new every year.  Find something in photography that I would like to learn.  Right now I need to learn to slow down.  I think I have a tendency to shoot first, so to speak.  I need to slow down when I see things that aren’t going to go away.  But sometimes I am so wanting to get “That Shot” and then I get home and become very frustrated because 95% of my shots are blurry.  Then I get discouraged and want to sell everything I own.  

What I really need to do is learn from my mistakes.  I have learned that I need to slow down and take my time.

I would love to learn something new this year, but I haven’t really figured it out yet.  I am sure it will come to me sooner or later.  In the mean time I will continue to do what I love to do.  And that is, hop in the truck with my husband with my gear and meander down the road! 

We haven’t been out yet this new year, but we did go then end of December 2019.  It did not disappoint!  

While it may seem my focus is on the eagles, this is not true because there are so many different things to see.  

The hawks were by far more in numbers than the eagles.  We saw a smaller lighter colored hawk and I thought for sure it would fly away because I was not “ready”  my lens was on manual focus and it took me a bit to realize that, so I thought for sure it would fly away never to be seen again.  Nope, not this time.  I keep forgetting to put my bird book in the truck, so of course I had to figure out what it was.  I had shot one last year, so I cheated and looked through my facebook page where I had asked someone what it was.  

So this beauty is a Roughed Legged Hawk.  I just love the lighter colors and the eyes.  Thank you hawk, for standing still for minutes on end while I tried to be organized.  

Roughed Legg Hawk

Roughed Legg Hawk 02

Then of course you have your occasional coyote.  This one was a bit far away, but I was still able to capture it.  They seem to be pretty healthy this winter.

Coyote 01

Eagles, we didn’t see a whole lot of mature bald eagles this time out, mostly the juveniles.  They are still captivating.  To me anyway. I hope you enjoy them as well.  

Eagle James E

This beautiful mature bald eagle was on “his side of the truck” so the hubby gets credit for this one!!

Eagle 01

 

Juvenile Bald Eagle 01Juvenile 03

Juvenile Eagles 03

It is very interesting to see the different stages of the juvenile bald eagle.  The one on the left looks like it just got out of a mud bath!!

We are so fortunate to live where we do and experience what we see!  I enjoy every minute we are out and about regardless if we see anything or not.

Grab your camera and go shoot up the new year!

Be Happy

Be Safe

Happy Shooting

Tracy Lynn

Too Many Cookies

The Ones That Got Away

When we moved to the southern pacific northwest, never did I imagine I would start photographing birds.  Then, someone gave me a bird book, and I have been learning how to identify them.  How did this happen? This just wasn’t me.  Where we lived in the high desert of Southern California, there would be ravens, pigeons, sparrows, finches, and an occasional hawk.  It was cool when the hawk would land on the tree.  But it wasn’t often.  Nothing super exciting to take pictures of.  I did the hummingbirds and the house birds, but that was simply because there wasn’t anything else to shoot at. (with the camera)

Fast forward, moving where the Pacific Flyway is.  I remember researching what it was.  I didn’t know there was such a thing. I knew birds migrated.  I remember as a kid in Montana, being outside and hearing the Canada Geese before you could see them high in the sky heading for the warmer climate!

Geese in flight 02

Such great memories!

Now here we are,  we love to do our Saturday drives on the Refuge and Sunday drives on the side roads.  You never know what you will see.

Last week we were driving the side roads and there were hundreds of White Fronted Geese in the fields and canals.  This week, no more geese.  It’s interesting how one species leaves and another comes in.

White Fronted 02

      White Fronted Geese

The last couple weeks the White Face Ibis started coming in, and this week  by the hundreds.  A very unique bird.  They are colorful in the sunshine and have a crooked beak.   They are pretty good formation flyers too!

Ibis 01

  White Faced Ibis

As you all know, I have a great love for the eagles and hawks.  I think it’s just that they are so majestic.  We are noticing less eagles and hawks this time of year.  They are hopefully sitting on their nests!  Every now and then they can be seen sitting on the power poles, or in the fields.  Hubby will stop the truck if they are on the poles, and I will sneak out (like you can sneak up on an eagle) and then I will start photographing them, inching closer and closer.  I can shoot the same bird 20-30 times, with the chance of getting close enough to get the  detail on the beaks, talons, or feathers.  And eventually they will take flight because of the annoying red-headed lady holding up something and pointing it at them.  So I smile, thank the bird (honestly I do) and happily walk back to the truck.

But not every photo turns out.  That’s just a part of learning.  Yep, I have tried flight pictures and they aren’t pretty.  I get half of something, or the whole thing is blurry.  I am still trying to be more patient with the in flight birds.

All that said,I wanted to share with you, the get aways….  Yes they are blurry and I am not ashamed to share that with you!  It happens to all of us!  Some more than others I am sure.  Ducks 01

Ducks 02

Ducks are one of the flightiest birds I have seen.  They must still be shell shocked from hunting season.

Egret 01

Heron 01

Blue Herons and White Egrets aren’t easy either.  They can be so still, and as soon as you get up on them whoosh….  they’re gone!

Hawk 02

     Hawks are fun.  They keep me on my toes.

hawk 04

   At least the feet are in focus!

Eagle 06

   Hello Majestic Eagle

Eagle 01

    Good bye Majestic Eagle

Eagle 05

Not quite sure what this was. I think it was an eagle. but its a nice foot and wing!

eagle 03

This is by far, the stuff that bad dreams are made of!  Kind of eerie if you ask me!!!

While you are viewing these photos, you are wondering… WHY do I keep these blurry photos?  Well, of course to share with all of you!  I guess maybe someday I will go through the files and delete them.  Or Not.  What if I need that perfect get away blurry shot?  Well, it could happen!

Enjoy your day!  Go outside and enjoy spring!  Shoot some pictures, try new things and don’t be afraid of the blurry ones!  I’m not!

Happy Shooting

T Lynn

The Ends