Hail Yeah – Storm at Red Rock Lakes Dam

Last year in July while camping at the Lower Lake of Red Rock Lakes National Refuge a storm came in while I was photographing birds at the dam. It looked like it was going to be a bad storm so I was going to head back to the campsite when a Peregrine Falcon swooped towards the American Avocets and Wilson’s Phalaropes.

 Before the storm, a Peregrine Falcon takes an American Avocet as prey

The Peregrine Falcon snatched an American Avocet right out of the shallow water and flew past me with it dangling from its talons. It all happened so quickly that I only got this one clear shot of the falcon.

I wondered if the falcon would come back so despite the impending arrival of the nasty looking storm I sat in the “mobile blind” to see if it would.

 American Avocets in flight during a storm

And the storm came in fast along with heavy rain and wind. These avocets were coming in to land in the shallow water.

American Avocets in a hail storm

And shortly after the avocets landed the hail started. I had never wondered what birds do in a hail storm before that day. Larger hail must injure and possibly kill birds when it falls.

The pea sized hail was pounding on the top of the pickup and pelting the parts of my hands and arms that were partially out of the window to take these images. Rain blew in the window and dripped off of my Noodle lens rest and the lens coat covering on my lens was soaked too.

I processed this image different from I normally do, typically I only sharpen the bird and other items they might be standing on to perch, or vegetation close or in front of my subject but with this image I sharpened the entire frame to accentuate the streaks of falling rain.

American Avocets facing the storm

When the hail size became smaller the shorebirds seemed to perk up. The tiny bird in front of the Avocets is a Wilson’s Phalarope, there were more of them behind the bush the phalarope is in front of.  The hail was still coming down hard.

When the hail turns to rain – American Avocets

By this time the hail had turned to rain and the birds began moving around, a few of the phalaropes took to the air.

American Avocets flying in a driving rain

And the avocets soon followed. They have such a neat pattern on their backs.  When I processed this I noticed that all of the avocets have their legs close together trailing behind them except the one at the top of the center towards the right whose legs are splayed out from each other. Just something odd I picked up on.

I also sharpened this whole frame to highlight the driving rain.

American Avocets and Wilson’s Phalaropes about to land in the rain

The avocets weren’t in flight long before they landed again and a few of the phalaropes landed with them. The avocets seemed to enjoy the lighter rain because they bathed and splashed in the shallows.

Wilson’s Phalaropes in flight in front of a rainbow

The phalaropes took off though flying back and forth in front of me, twisting and turning in flight. One second showed them flashing their white undersides and the next their darker top sides. As they flew the sun came out and a rainbow appeared. How great it was to photograph these birds with the colors of the rainbow behind them.

Red Rock Lakes NWR rainbow after a storm

Since I began photographing birds in Florida I have gotten used to getting wet to photograph shorebirds, wringing wet at times but my gear has never been as wet as it was the day I took these images from inside the pickup. Was it worth it? I think so.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my American Avocet photos plus facts and information about this species.  Click here to see more of my Wilson’s Phalarope photos plus facts and information about this species.