Common Raven in flight over a sagebrush steppe – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
If someone asked me what my favorite birds are I’d have a hard time answering and I might just say that it is the bird I have in my viewfinder. There are some birds that make my heart beat a little faster such as owls, hummingbirds, warblers, upland game birds, raptors, cranes and corvids. The birds I listed are all so different and they “call” to me in different ways but I can say each of them is always a thrill for me to photograph. All birds are really.
I know from experience that Common Ravens can be easy to photograph in some locations. For example in Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Parks the ravens I saw there seemed fearless to me and would practically walk or fly right up to people but in other locations I’ve found them to be very skittish and a challenge to keep in my viewfinder so when I can I love to photograph them on the wing, perched or on the ground.
Four years ago in March I was on a sagebrush steppe in the Dixie National Forest in Wayne County, Utah. I had a Common Raven that was close enough to get a few images of it in flight and it excited me. Why wouldn’t it? The light was just perfect to capture the gleaming black plumage of the raven and I liked how this photo shows its feet curled up below its ebony body. As I recall the raven had just taken off from the ground when I took this image.
It is a simple photo but one I find visually appealing and also one that brings back memories of the incredible beauty of the wilderness found in the Dixie National Forest and the Aquarius Plateau.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Common Raven photos plus facts and information about this species.
Mia,
Your first paragraph expresses, word for word, my feelings about birds and photography. Thank you for expressing it so lucidly and eloquently. By your words, you’ve given my wife and me more insight into what drives/compels us to the predawn awakenings, the occasional discomforts in the field, and the long hours spent at the computer. Thank you!
I am fascinated with ravens. Intelligent, family minded birds. Not easy to photograph either. Thank you.
Mia, what a nice blogpost! I once observed a Raven actually capture and kill a live House Finch when 8 lived in AZ. It swooped down and grabbed the bird from my feeder. I then grabbed my camera and snuck outside where I found it on the roof of the house across the street from me. Feathers were flying as the Raven consumed the bird. I got photos of it and posted them in my old Sycamore Canyon Blog. I totally understand your love of and fascination with this species. I think I have a nesting pair somewhere in the woods behind my house, but I have not located their nest.