Chukar on top of a mound of snowChukar on top of a mound of snow – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/3200, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR at 321mm, natural light, not baited

Yes, more Chukars in the snow! I spotted this Chukar on top of a mound of snow that the plow had pushed to the side of the road on Antelope Island State Park. It appeared to be the sentinel bird for others that were feeding nearby and it gave me some nice poses in good light.

Chukar on a mound of snowChukar on a mound of snow – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR at 328mm, natural light, not baited

I took some vertical and horizontal images of the Chukar since it gave me the time to compose and reframe my shots.

Chukar in clear lightChukar in clear light – Nikon D300, f9, 1/800, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light, not baited

This image was taken on Antelope Island too but on a different day. As I recall is was very chilly that morning and the Chukars I saw were fluffed up against the cold.

Chukar - High KeyChukar – High Key – Nikon D300, f8, 1/1250, ISO 400, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light, not baited

This image was also taken on a different day in dimmer light than those above which gave me a high key effect.

I’ve certainly had ample opportunities to photograph Chukars in the snow this year and right now I can’t wait until I can start taking images with spring green grass in them!

Mia

To view more of my Chukar photos plus facts and information about this species click here.