Hawking In A Winter Wonderland
While you might not get to see birds of prey, the settings and tips below will work for all kinds of birds and wildlife. Be prepared. Whenever you see a bird of prey, it’s exciting. Factor in a snowstorm, and it’s even more fun. With the right settings, you can capture birds of prey in their snowy element.
I was photographing the adult female Red-shouldered Hawk I named, Jacuzzi, sunning herself in this pine tree when snow from a branch above fell down behind her. The falling snow made a perfect background! My shutter speed of 1/640th second was ideal to freeze the falling snow, which glistened in the sunlight.
Hawk In A Snow Globe
This photo was taken after a snowstorm, when it was sunny. I was already out in the yard with my camera when I spotted Jacuzzi in a neighbor’s tree. When she flew to a tree closer to me, I was in the perfect spot.
I took several photos of Jacuzzi perched in this pine tree as she hunted while warming up in bright sunlight. When the wind blew the snow around, we both found ourselves inside a snow globe.
Here we are, looking at each other while snow billows around us. I slowed down my shutter speed to 1/640th second to record the blowing snow. My Autofocus kept her in complete focus at f10 even while all the white flakes blew around. This was one of several experiences I’ve been lucky enough to have when Jacuzzi flew from a far away tree to one that brought her closer to me.
What Hawks And Flamingoes Have In Common
On cold Wintry mornings, I often spot my local birds of prey perched in a tree facing East to warm their plumage in the Sun. They often stand on one leg to prevent heat loss. Never have I seen a bird lose balance. It’s remarkable. They stand like this for dozens of minutes. I call it, “Flamingoing.”
On this frigid January morning, I spotted Jacuzzi standing on just one leg, employing the posture called, “rete mirabile,” known in Latin as “wonderful net,” to minimize heat loss. Because birds lose heat through their unfeathered legs, some stand on just one leg to cut that heat loss in half. Look on Jacuzzi’s chest more than halfway down to find her right talon peeking out of her feathers to stay warm.
The bonus is we’re both using the light. She’s sunning her plumage while standing on one leg to keep warm, while I’m freezing myself despite wearing layers to make the most of the sunlight shining on her. We both win!
A Wild Stretch
During a snowstorm, I looked out the window and spotted the adult male I named, Jack, perched in a pine tree. So I put on my OP/TECH Rainsleeve over my entire camera and bundled up. This inexpensive sleeve protects your camera from the elements. Thanks to a Rainsleeve, I’ve even taken my camera safely into/behind Niagara Falls.
At first, I thought it was Jacuzzi. Because Jack is more skittish, I was surprised he didn’t fly away. As usual, there was nowhere to hide, and I didn’t. I wanted him to notice it was me, so he wouldn’t get startled. I slowly walked out in the open onto my snow-covered driveway and stopped at a spot that kept plenty of distance between myself and Jack way up in the tree. My 700mm lens brought him close enough without me having to get any closer.
As the snow fell, I noticed he was standing on one leg to reduce heat loss. That didn’t surprise me, given how cold it was. At one point, he brought his left leg down to stretch it. What a sight! He extended his wing and splayed his tail wide for balance as he stretched his leg. At the same time, he looked straight at me. This was a wild moment!
For birders, the payoff comes from persistent observation. You tune into a bird’s behavior in hopes that you see something special. With that stretch, Jack rewarded me for spending time with him in a snowstorm!
A Winter Hawk
Here is one of my favorite shots of Jacuzzi in a snowscape. After Jacuzzi spent a while in a pine tree pruning her feathers, she flew off to a tree limb far away. I took this from hundreds of yards away, and that’s what makes the shot so cool. She’s such a burst of color in the otherwise Wintry world! Her plumage really pops against the maze of snowy branches! I call this photo, The Winter Hawk.
Stay tuned for future Blog posts with more stories and photos about Red-shouldered Hawks!
General Settings
ISO 800, Aperture f13, Shutter Speed 1/1,000th Second
Distance, light, and speed are your biggest challenges when photographing birds of prey in any weather. In snow, you likely need a higher ISO because of the dim light, so start at 800 and go up to 1000 or higher.
Keep your shutter speed at 1/1,000th second to capture quick movement.
Your raptors will be far away, so make sure your aperture is at least f13, or even narrower at f14 and beyond.
If you’re not comfortable using Full Manual mode, use the Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture, and your camera determines the shutter speed. Start at f13, but make sure your camera uses a fast shutter speed of at least 1/800th second, and preferably 1/1,000th second.
Photo Tips
On cold mornings, raptors fly to a tree facing the Sun to warm their plumage. This creates awesome photo opportunities, because the birds are well lit. Take advantage of the great light to get super portraits.
During or after snowstorms, most of your landscape is white. Choose Spot Metering instead of the usual default Evaluative Metering (Canon); Matrix Metering (Nikon); Multi-Segment Metering (Sony). This forces your camera to meter for around the center of your frame, instead of the entire mostly white frame of your composition. That way, you get rich saturation of a bird’s plumage, which contrasts with the mostly white background.
Because I’m usually very far from birds of prey, I use the Single Point Autofocus (and sometimes the Multi-area Autofocus) setting, so I can literally move my focus point onto the bird’s head.
An OP/TECH Rainsleeve is a “must have” inside any photographer’s camera bag. Whether in snow, rain, or fog, a Rainsleeve keeps your camera and lens covered. I don’t endorse vendors. I simply use what works best to protect my camera system.
Whenever you use your camera in the cold, be sure to have multiple batteries in your camera bag or pocket, because they drain more in frigid weather.
Review & Refine! Keep checking your shots to see if your settings are good enough. The more you’re willing to improve your settings, the better a photographer you will be!
Experience The Red-shouldered Hawks 5 By 30 Inches Storyteller Photo.
This composite of 6 photos chronicles Red-shouldered Hawks through the seasons.
Want To See More Red-shouldered Hawks? Check Out The Red-shouldered Hawks Gallery.
Want To See More Birds Of Prey? Check Out The Birds of Prey Gallery.
Want To See Ospreys? Check Out The Ospreys Gallery.
