Monday, February 17, 2014

Imagine the Impossible

Gila Woodpecker

As a person who likes photos, there is nothing more rewarding than getting excellent shots of the birds or creatures in the area. But not all birds are so photogenic like the birds above or below.....:)
 
Mexican Jay

I mean sure.  Jays, Flickers and Woodpeckers don't mind posing.  But there are others who WON'T stay still!  
 
Northern Flicker

Over the next several months, big trips have been planned, but sometimes I don't have to go far to work on my birds.  Probably the most daunting of tasks is getting decent shots of birds that hide in the grasses or reeds.  However, it's not impossible......
 
Chestnut-collared Longspur

Case in point, the Chestnut-collared Longspurs.  Birders would tell me, "Good luck. You're lucky if you even catch a glimpse of them." In fact, this bird is notorious for sounding off first and then shooting straight out of the grass into the air and down before one can can say..."That's a...!" They're that fast.  The trick is listening for their flight call.  And I wanted pics of these birds.  This particular trip wasn't for a life bird or even finding new birds for the year.......it was the photographer/OCD type in me that made me head over to Willcox.  And I'm glad I did.  The dizzying cloud flew around us 6 times.  I stood absolutely still as they zipped by my head.  Normally, it's one pass and VANISH!  However, this time I could prep my camera and predict patterns.
 
This is what most birders are lucky enough to see.  By the time we get our binoculars on these birds, they are gone!

I am a determined person. Sometimes, it's almost like there is a mental block telling me that I'll fail finding the birds. Thankfully there have been many teachers who have shared their experiences with me.  Their wise words have allowed me to take on the most difficult birds. The secret? It's all about understanding their individual habits and habitats.  And standing in those grasses this past weekend, I felt really proud of the moment.  There is this feeling of satisfaction and happiness.  Sometimes it takes many tries to get to that moment, but it makes that moment even sweeter when it happens.  No one, but a birder, knows the amount of effort that goes into discovering those impossible and challenging birds.  



And it's all quite beautiful. Once that mission was accomplished, I just relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the day. 

Harris's Hawk taken with my cell phone.
 Lately, I've had a lot of wildlife encounters. At work, I've had a Harris's Hawk chill out with me at a bridge while I was looking out over a dry wash.  It made a difficult day better. 


As I was tracking a Great Horned Owl, I noticed several deer heads pop up around the grasses.  We all continued on as if I were one of the herd. Magic.  Later I sat on a bench in the middle of a canyon with Pat and almost fell asleep under the canopy of the trees.  There was a lovely breeze that just whispered "siesta":)
 
Chiricahua National Monument

Today's post was centered around Willcox and the Chiricahua National Monument.  Until next time....
Check out amazing birds from around the world at Wild Bird Wednesdays!


28 comments:

  1. Chris, I am glad you were so determined. Cool seeing the Longspurs even if they were in flight. Great collection of bird photos and the scenic shot is beautiful. Happy Birding!

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  2. Great photos and I can certainly relate to birds that fly off before you have a chance to see or photograph them. As you say - patience and determination. I'm glad it worked for you this time.

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  3. Chris, those longspurs look like bullets!

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  4. Nie ma z pewnością większej radości, jak zrobić ptakom piękne zdjęcia. Nie wszystkim, jak sam piszesz, to można zrobić. Życzę pięknych zdjęć i tym trudnym do fotografowania ptakom. Pozdrawiam.
    There is certainly greater joy than to make beautiful pictures of birds. Not everyone, as you write, it can be done. I wish you beautiful photos and this difficult to photograph birds. Yours.

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  5. The national monument is beautiful! I feel like I encounter a lot of the fast moving subjects (usually without much success) as well, but it sure is a good feeling when you finally get a shot! Great job on your captures!

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  6. Like Kathie says: the longspurs look like bullets... and the Gila Woodpecker has such a sparkling eye!

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  7. Thank you for posting this, Chris. Right now I'm imagining that I'm sitting in Chiricahua National Park, just about where the camera is, and drinking in the sunshine and the wonderful wildlife around me - I wish that reality wasn't so distant from this!!

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  8. Nice set of pictures - birds on the wing and birds in grass are a real challenge. Much easier if they land on a fence rail next to you!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  9. Well done on getting the photos :) Great post Chris and I love the picture of the deer :)

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  10. I certainly agree with you some birds are a real pain to photograph. As a UK birder who enjoys photographing what I see, it can sometimes be a really common bird that is a pain to capture well, I find finches are often too high to get a good photo (tops of trees etc) or some birds just hate staying still long enough to get a shot that isn't a blur (the light here isn't great for fast shutter speeds for 8 months of the year lol).

    You have some cracking photos so your perseverance obviously works :)

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  11. awesome shots - even if some don't want to sit for you. :)

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  12. Oh that park---what a gorgeous area of AZ. Those monoliths are tremendously phenomenal.

    Love your birds. No matter if you think they're photogenic or not...they're all simply wonderful.

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  13. You're so right Chris. It's all about learning the species you're tracking whether for a photograph or simply prolonged and unique views while at the same time employing some fieldcraft. It's something that comes with experience and common sense, things that sometimes seeem in short supply these days.

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  14. Congratulations on makeing the impossible, possible. Great photos and an interesting post.
    All the best Gordon.

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  15. Despite the difficulties you appear to have had a wonderful birding/nature experience.
    Lovely series!

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  16. HI Chris great close up of the birds at the beginning of the post and well done for getting the flight shots even one shot has 2 'bullets' in it!!

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  17. Love the flicker shots -- we haven't seen ours this year and I miss him. Lovely images.

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  18. Great photos Chris, love the critters but the last scene is gorgeous.

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  19. You've got shots that the best of them, lovely birds and Deer.

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  20. Hi Chris, I'm sure you were thrilled to see the Longspurs. Those are FAST little guys!!!! Love the woodpeckers --since we have several around here...

    What/when/where are your big trips? I'm excited for you.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  21. A splendid job on these photos! Love that gila woodpecker. Wish I could see that some day. :)

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  22. Wow, I'd never even heard of Chestnut-collared Longspur before reading this..........

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  23. For sure some birds are easier to photograph than others! Seems to me you are very successful with your lens!

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  24. That had to be a very cool experience! Glad you shared it with us!

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  25. Well done for persisting and trying till you "got the shot"!

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  26. I applaud your dedication and determination. Well done Chris!:)So glad you got shots of the Chest-nut collared Longspur.The other captures are ofcourse great, and the Natioal monumento picture is fantástico.

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  27. Wonderful captures of the Longspurs! I know you were excited to be so successful! Great photos, all.

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