I find that photography shares a trait common to all crafts. From woodworking to horsemanship to photography and everything in between, “the more you know, the more you know you need to know”. I don’t know who coined that phrase, but as a student my place in the process is a continual effort to improve on the results I have achieved in the past. That is a pattern for my life.
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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FLINT HILLS of KANSAS...Falling into Winter
This fresh sequence of Male Harrier photos was taken November 15, 2021. It is an improvement on my best previous Harrier photos (see Sequence: Harrier Edition #3).
I remember hearing a song on the radio years ago that was based on the lyric “I may not be the best I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was”. It’s kind of funny how a little jingle like that can stick with you. In the case of the feature pics in this sequence, I was on my game, but I sure had to work up to it! These MAY be the best I ever get, but I will definitely continue trying to get better. Improvement usually requires challenging yourself. Challenging yourself is pretty much what this Daily Bucket Sequence theme is all about. Jeff challenged me to try to take photos that tell a story.
With the focus of my photo interest being birds in flight, my prairie habitat BIF opportunities almost never permit setting up on a tripod or the use of live view screen enabled focus adjustments. Therefore I challenge myself by learning to master shooting entirely handheld while in the field for BIF photos.
This sequence was captured while on my way home from a trip to town for supplies. The trip turned out to be one of the most fruitful ever as I engaged in four photo sessions with six different birds, and each session produced some keepers. The magnificent Grey Ghost that not-so-willingly modeled for me in this Sequence episode was spotted at the beginning of the last 9 mile leg of a return to Appy Trails. I was in kind of a hurry too since I had my ice cream and other perishables behind my seat. After descending a relatively steep grade (with a 90 degree turn strategically placed right at the bottom) I noticed a lump of solid color on a small tree in the pasture to my left.
As soon as I had almost to come to a stop, the bird took off. As it took off I saw clearly it was a male Harrier, non other than a vaunted Grey Ghost! See that hill behind the bird? It immediately flew up that hill turning toward the left. That took it back to the top of the hill...exactly where I had just come from. I saw it go down, so I began backing around the turn and up the hill to see how close I could get to wherever he might be. When I got to the top I couldn’t see him anywhere! Arrrgh!
There is an oil battery located at the top, so I decided to park in the driveway of that tank battery to see if I could find my bird. I didn’t even make it to the driveway before I spotted him on the ground right next to the pasture fence in front of the tank battery. Having the desired subject right next to a fence is a nightmare for my photo ambitions. The camera will nearly always focus on the fence, or tall grass near the fence. You can see that was the case in this instance.
I immediately pulled over into the grassy ditch next to the road, on the oncoming lane side as the hill is steep and I didn’t want someone to come along going my direction and find me in their path just after they topped over the hill. Anyone coming toward me from downhill would at least have ample time to avoid my van off to the side staring them in the face. I got out and on foot began to cautiously work my way closer. Once I got to the top I gained a view of the bird, seen above, on the ground right next to a fence. My heart sank, knowing chances were slim that I could get any good photos in that circumstance. But that didn’t stop me from trying as I could see it was preparing to fly again. Turns out I was right on both counts!
I figured our flying bird will soon clear the fence and I’ll at least have a good chance to get a few nice shots of his tail feathers as he flies away.
At this juncture the action is fast and furious. You can tell I am clicking about as fast as possible by the difference in height of the bird compared to the height of the fence. I know if he gains a little more altitude I have a much improved chance of getting a decent picture out of the deal. I keep clicking as the change could happen in an instant! Change it did, and sure enough, the change happened in an instant.
BUT, remember that CLUE? You guessed it, there is more to this story!
The bird had incentive to find a landing spot as soon as he could. He flew back west to the east/west running fence line along the road. Running a key word for me at the time. I guess he was assuming I was headed the other way. After all, who wants their ice cream to melt?
Instead of worrying about my gallon of ice cream, I’m thinking “Not so fast Mr. Grey Ghost! For as long as I am able, where you go, I go!”
He landed on a fencepost about 75 yards west along the road, and downhill the other direction from where I am. I hustled back out to the road and carefully worked my way along the ditch to where I had a view of him on his post. As I was moving along I adjusted the zoom of my lens to a higher setting.
I clicked the shutter as soon as I was able as I could see by his posture this was a temporary stop. He was preparing to fly again, an intention undoubtedly encouraged by my continued presence.
Until I was processing the photos at home on my computer I had no idea he had been toting a prize. Win, win! He got his and I got mine. No guts, no glory? He got all the glory, which is just as it should be. After all, if I hurry home I’ve got ice cream!
As parting shots I will include what is (I think), to date, my best shots of a female/immature male Harrier. I definitely intend to improve on these in the near future.*
*UPDATE! 11/22/21 I took another trip to town. On the way back I was so fortunate as to have a great Harrier photo session which produced improvement on the “parting shots”. So the REAL parting shots are just below...
If you would like to see some real ZINGER shots of female or immature male Harriers search out the pics posted by Jeff or Nook or 2n10, to name a few, posted in recent Daily Buckets. I salivate when I see those! That concludes my portion of this Daily Bucket diary. Now it’s time to get cooking with what is usually the best of what Daily Bucket has to offer, which is the comment section. Let’s get on with it!