Jochen, the (some what infrequent) blogger extraordinaire of Bell Tower Birding, made a photo request in the comments for this post of several days ago. In the comment he challenged me to post a flight photo of a white phase Gyrfalcon in front of an iceberg.
Now I think it will be a nigh on impossible photo, not because of the lighting challenges, but just because the chances of actually seeing a Gyrfalcon flying in front of an iceberg, or at least being in the right place to see it, are impossibly thin. (my god that is one run on sentence)
But I think, that what he was really after was a white bird against the white(ish) iceberg. Or maybe it was an avian predator with a floating glacial background he wanted. In any case, Jochen I have come through.
While out this afternoon I saw some Snow Geese feeding far down the outflow of Marcil Lake, our water source. A huge iceberg has made its way into Adam's Sound, drifting closer to Arctic Bay. I thought that it would make a great background and manouvered the truck to place the geese between me and the iceberg, far out in the sound.
After I snapped a couple of photos I noticed that a bird was repeatedly diving at the almost grown goslings, and at some young loons nearby. So I started paying more attention. A Red-throated Loon took to the air and then began mobbing the bird. I then realized that it was one of the jaeger species (this jury is still out on which one – it was a long way away). While I tried to get a decent record shot of the jaeger another small flock of Snow Geese started coming in to land, and the jaeger immediately went to them and swooped at them.
So, I give you white birds flying in front of an iceberg, with an avian predator in close proximity.
Comments
3 responses
Clare, this is a clear win for you! Point taken: white birds in front of a white iceberg!
Congrats on this astounding picture!
And it’s one heck of an iceberg as well, ey? Additionally, I have yet to see my first ever Snow Goose but have been fortunate to see a white-morph Gyrfalcon (and escape bird in Germany) as well as dark morph wild birds in Scandinavia, so the Snow Geese are actually even better than the falcon – yes, I know: only until I get to see my first flock of geese, then the falcons will take the pole position again easily.
Ha! Did you mean I am an infrequent blogger or infrequently extraordinaire?
Ha ha!
Thanks a million for the compliment, from you that’s quite something to hear as your blog is waaay way up there…
Cheers!
Thanks Jochen. It is a heck of an iceberg, I’ll probably head out this morning to see if it has drifted any closer. It is massive.
It seems strange that you’ve never seen Snow Geese, but I guess I’ve lived both where they breed and where 10s of thousands can be seen at one time on migration.
And, er, I meant that you blog infrequently.
Unfortunately Snow Geese don’t migrate through the Great Lakes region in significant numbers, they migrate either to the West through the prairies or to the East along the Atlantic shore. There had been infrequent observations of singles amongst Canada Geese while I was in southern Michigan but I never managed to successfully “chase” one. Too bad, really, I guess I need to travel more widely in North America.