Whooping Crane Series - Very rare endangered bird:
Man did I ever work for these. I trudged about three quarters of a mile in a pair of knee high rubber boots through the marsh, Carrying 45 pounds of camera gear, just to HOPE to get close enough to use the 600mm on this single Whooping Crane that was hanging out with some Sandhill Cranes. It was worth it. The conditions were horrible (bad weather), but this is the closest I've ever been able to get since I found where they were quite some time ago:
http://CatcherofLight.smugmug.com/ph...2_uxLXB-X3.jpg
http://CatcherofLight.smugmug.com/ph...7_2ghEe-X3.jpg
http://CatcherofLight.smugmug.com/ph...4_Fh5fm-X3.jpg
He gave me a few shots on the ground, and then flew off. These were panned with the 600mm off the Wimberley head at relatively slow speeds due to the poor lighting:
http://CatcherofLight.smugmug.com/ph...5_Bi9tg-X3.jpg
http://CatcherofLight.smugmug.com/ph...9_bPNAZ-X3.jpg
Re: Whooping Crane Series - Very rare endangered bird:
Very cool, but what a shame that every one of them has a radio tracking antenae like most california condors do.
Great job and a even better find!
Re: Whooping Crane Series - Very rare endangered bird:
Nice work Bob. Looks like you had a busy weekend.
Re: Whooping Crane Series - Very rare endangered bird:
Wonderful work Bob. Just goes to prove if you put the time and effort in you will get the rewards.
Re: Whooping Crane Series - Very rare endangered bird:
Thanks for sharing with us your rare find, C_B :thumbsup:
Re: Whooping Crane Series - Very rare endangered bird:
Very cool. Wonder what happened to his wing though.
Re: Whooping Crane Series - Very rare endangered bird:
It's just molting flight feathers. All birds do.
Re: Whooping Crane Series - Very rare endangered bird:
Apart form the fact that they'd go round in circles if they didn't :)
Why is it that birds lose wing feathers in matching pairs on left and right wings?
And more important to my curious (uh oh, dead cat alert) mind is HOW the moulting of the feathers is synchronised !
Do you have any idea ?
Re: Whooping Crane Series - Very rare endangered bird:
I have seen many a hawk with 5-7 flight feathers missing on only one wing. They flew quite fine too.
Re: Whooping Crane Series - Very rare endangered bird:
Canon_Bob, great images and quite the documentation. If these were mine, I would be printing the third and fourth ones to frame and hang on my wall and I would do my best to clone out the electronic tracking stuff. A lot of work on your part, but definitely worth the rewards.
Cheers,
WesternGuy
Re: Whooping Crane Series - Very rare endangered bird:
I was more refering to the second photograph. One leg has a transmitter, but the wing above the other leg looks injured. Is it just a different view of the molting feathers?