Advan's Raptor Photography

[advan]

I've been trying to branch out of macro photography and try some wildlife stuff focusing on Raptors(birds of prey). Of course regular birds get mixed in while I'm out hiking and looking for raptors. Just wanted to start a thread showing what I've been upped to this past year.


I'll start with some recent ones, I have a lot of photos that still need to be uploaded to FlickR. Here are the ones that already are.

Great horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

After shooting the above owl, I made it back on the trail. I was reviewing photos and this juvie Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) came down for a snack about 50ft from me.

After it missed it's mark, it flew away towards the parking lot.

Here's a few days later at the same park. We hiked for a bit, not finding anything until we followed bird alerts. Came through the woods and the bird alerts stopped. Not long after we came upon two GHO's in the same tree. They were very cooperative, letting us sit rather close with a dog and some beers. Such amazing birds.

Red Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) from Lake Skinner, California

Same hawk about to be harassed by an Osprey with a fish(look close!).

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) from San Eligo Lagoon, California

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from Lake Vermilion, Minnesota

That's it for now! Thanks for looking! -Chad

 

[advan]

Went looking for a snowy owl that has been hanging around the Minneapolis airport lately. Unfortunately we came up empty handed in that department. We did find a Red Tailed Hawk with lunch as a consolation prize though.

 

[papilio]

What a portfolio ... there are no words.

 

[advan]

A few weekends ago, I went up to the Sax Zim Bog to try and find the Great Grey Owls that are up there. I struck out again with the owls but had some eagles hanging out just out the back door of a friend's cabin I was staying at.

 

[advan]

A pair of Great Horned Owls from this weekend. Hopefully they have a successful year and I'll be able to get some owlets shots in the next few months.

Female

Male napping in near by tree.

Crows flying over got his attention.

 

[The Snark]

Still trying to figure out how @advan manages to be in the right place at the right time with the right camera and lens. I'm quite willing to attribute this to reading tea leaves and properly interpreting astrological events.

 

[sdsnybny]

Still trying to figure out how @advan manages to be in the right place at the right time with the right camera and lens. I'm quite willing to attribute this to reading tea leaves and properly interpreting astrological events.

I believe he uses Alien "Predator" camouflage

 

[Ratmosphere]

So beautiful!

 

[Belegnole]

Still trying to figure out how @advan manages to be in the right place at the right time with the right camera and lens. I'm quite willing to attribute this to reading tea leaves and properly interpreting astrological events.

He knows his subject matter and stalks it. Finding birds of prey isn't all that hard if you know where to look. Plus within bird watching communities people let each other know where to find certain birds.

I live in an area populated by Bald Eagles. With the right gear, planning, and some luck I could get any number of different shots of them.

This is not to detract from advan's obvious skills. But maybe to point out his hunting prowess.

 

[advan]

Still trying to figure out how @advan manages to be in the right place at the right time with the right camera and lens. I'm quite willing to attribute this to reading tea leaves and properly interpreting astrological events.

During these hikes, I always have my camera and telephoto. I've driven and hiked countless miles coming back without any thing.

I believe he uses Alien "Predator" camouflage

Ha! I still haven't and won't go full birder with camo clothes and camo lens sheath.

He knows his subject matter and stalks it. Finding birds of prey isn't all that hard if you know where to look. Plus within bird watching communities people let each other know where to find certain birds.

I live in an area populated by Bald Eagles. With the right gear, planning, and some luck I could get any number of different shots of them.

This is not to detract from advan's obvious skills. But maybe to point out his hunting prowess.

Yep, I have had some hints for general areas but owls are still a pain to find. Crows are the best at tipping you off to an owl's location. Bald Eagles are plentiful here in Minnesota. I believe we are second or third for breeding populations, behind Alaska and maybe Florida. There is even a nest in downtown Minneapolis. Soon I hope to get a shot of it with the buildings in the background.

Went to Fort Snelling State Park to find some Barred Owls that are there this weekend. No luck with the barreds but did find two different GHO's each day.

First day, lighting was tough so I only was happy with this one.

Baldy near it's nest.

Second GHO

Hopefully I'll find some different species soon!

 

[Belegnole]

Yup, owls are definitely more difficult to pin down. My father and I spent weeks trying to track a snowy down a few years back. We kept seeing it around a new development. But we finally figured out that it was nesting a mile away.

 

[The Snark]

This explains a few things to me. I'm not bird oriented. My photo safaris when it comes to birds are haphazard at best and I don't have a telephoto lens. I see raptors and owls on the wing quite often but have no clue where they would park and pose for pictures.

 

[RTTB]

Amazing pictures!

 

[The Snark]

Went looking for a snowy owl that has been hanging around the Minneapolis airport lately. Unfortunately we came up empty handed in that department. We did find a Red Tailed Hawk with lunch as a consolation prize though.

Recollection. I was about 7. Our family kept and bred parakeets. Someone delivered into our keeping an injured fledgling Red Tailed Hawk. We nursed it back to health. Vague memories of it riding around on my arm. There is even a picture somewhere of yours truly cringing as it tried to perch on my head. We did not restrain or cage it. Just hid our parakeets inside the house.
One morning it decided to depart. It first flew over to my mother as she was leaving for work, regarding her from a fence railing a few feet away. It then flew over to the playground where my brother and I were and perched on a mound of dirt we were digging in for a few moments. Last it found our dad out mowing a lawn a couple of hundred feet south and circled him twice. Goodbyes taken care of, it flew off, never to be seen again.

 

[advan]

Yup, owls are definitely more difficult to pin down. My father and I spent weeks trying to track a snowy down a few years back. We kept seeing it around a new development. But we finally figured out that it was nesting a mile away.

Snowy's shouldn't be nesting in the States, they're just winter visitors.

This explains a few things to me. I'm not bird oriented. My photo safaris when it comes to birds are haphazard at best and I don't have a telephoto lens. I see raptors and owls on the wing quite often but have no clue where they would park and pose for pictures.

Get out and look! I would love to see some of the raptors from your area!

Amazing pictures!

Thank you!


Well I'm going to bore you with more GHO photos. I made it out to two different spots with known resident Barred Owls and couldn't find them. One of these days......

 

[The Snark]

Get out and look! I would love to see some of the raptors from your area!

Frustration!! I see owls just about every night zooming along. See some sort of hawk and eagle circling now and then. (Waving an arm vaguely to the north, roughly 3000 square miles of rain forest area)... look where? And we are talking rugged rocky terrain in 100F heat without roads.

 

[advan]

Frustration!! I see owls just about every night zooming along. See some sort of hawk and eagle circling now and then. (Waving an arm vaguely to the north, roughly 3000 square miles of rain forest area)... look where? And we are talking rugged rocky terrain in 100F heat without roads.

Start here? https://www.hawkmountain.org/science/khao-dinsor-thailand/page.aspx?id=3553

 

[Belegnole]

Snowy's shouldn't be nesting in the States, they're just winter visitors.

It was years ago so I probably misspoke and should have said roost. However it wasn't winter which was part of why we kept looking for it. I can still remember the first time I saw it sitting on the roof of a new blue sided ranch style house.

I haven't read the whole thread but see you mentioned Hawk Mountain. Definitely a great place to check out during the migration. I've only been there once back when I was 16.

 

[Magenta]

Wow, these are lovely <3

 

[The Snark]

Saw two raptors, hawk or eagle, flying overhead near our house yesterday. One had a large section of missing feathers on it's right wing. Wonder how that happened. Didn't seem to affect it's flying ability. Then in the evening a large owl, a big gray streak, zoomed up the road in front of our house. This is interesting in that seeing birds of prey around here is usually pretty rare.
Since the farmers have quit slaughtering the storks and herons around here we are seeing more raptors. They were killing them mainly because it was thought they ate the paddy crabs which are a delicacy. (Don't you love the thought of eating raw bottom feeders?). Word finally got out to the farmers the storks are eating snails and helping prevent diseases.