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  • Today, we're in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

  • More specifically, we're at the Potawatomi Nation bird aviary,

  • where they've got some eagles, hawks, even hummingbirds.

  • So we're gonna film a variety of wings, big and small,

  • in super slow mo. The downside is,

  • it's raining and it's quite dark,

  • so we're gonna have to wait for some holes in these clouds,

  • but hopefully, we'll get some lovely-looking footage.

  • - Why don't we go and meet the people? - Quickly, it's raining.

  • It's raining, yeah.

  • Hi. Great to meet you, Jennifer. Bree, how's it going?

  • - Good to have you here. - Very nice to meet you.

  • So what is it that you guys do here?

  • - What are you responsible for? - Well, we are humbled

  • to be able to care for these wonderful eagles here.

  • All these eagles you meet here have been injured in some way.

  • So we need to take care of them now.

  • They can't take care of themselves out in the wild.

  • Dan: That's really good.

  • What other kind of birds do you have here?

  • We have falcons and hawks,

  • and then we have a golden eagle also.

  • I've been told you've also got hummingbirds, as well, not just birds of prey.

  • Are they a part of this or are they--

  • They are just wild hummingbirds.

  • But we're lucky enough to have them come visit here.

  • We have planted specific plants for pollinators--

  • monarchs, hummingbirds, so I think that helps, too.

  • We've also stopped spraying, so we don't use any pesticides

  • or any chemicals down here that would be harmful,

  • so there's an ample supply of things they need.

  • - Oh, sweet. - All right, I think we should

  • wait for it to stop raining,

  • and then we'll go and film some birds.

  • - So, who's this guy? - His name is Nikon.

  • This is actually we call an Augur Buzzard,

  • so he's a relative of red-tailed hawks,

  • - kinda like their cousin. - Cool tips.

  • He's gonna do what we call rousing.

  • See all his feathers puffing out.

  • All birds do this.

  • It means he's very happy right now,

  • so he must like you two.

  • Why haven't you never roused for me?

  • Sorry, I don't really know what to say to that.

  • I think it would be cool to start with a shot

  • where he's coming right at the camera,

  • 'cause then we'll see him braking and putting his feet forward.

  • - Let's try that. - Yeah, let's try that.

  • That's pretty good.

  • Gav: Look at that. Wow.

  • Dan: They all just look so easy and quick in real time,

  • but then when you see it in slow-motion--

  • Gav: It's an absolute operation.

  • Dan: Yeah, there's so much to it.

  • He sticks his feet out first. Puts the brakes on.

  • - Lands. - That's amazing.

  • Jennifer: We'll try that a couple of times.

  • - Are you ready? - Ready!

  • - That was cool. - Are we good?

  • Yeah, that's great.

  • Gav: Wow. That's a leap, as well.

  • - Dan: Yeah, that's a jump, isn't it? - Gav: Yeah.

  • Dan: Wow. Look at all the-- they spread out like fingers.

  • He's looking right where he's gonna put his feet.

  • That was amazing.

  • All right, Bree, who's this fella?

  • This Miata Bay. This is out golden eagle.

  • Usually, when we put him out on a perch,

  • he'll give us a good rouse.

  • So if you guys wanna try that out?

  • Yeah, I'll get a slow mo rouse.

  • He seems really tame.

  • He's been with us since he was about a year old,

  • so he's really accustomed to people.

  • - Go on. - Look at his feathers.

  • I got it.

  • Gav: Huh. He actually shed quite a lot of small bits.

  • Dan: It looks like he's in a fan.

  • It doesn't even look like he's doing it to himself.

  • It just looks like it's really windy.

  • Wow.

  • Gav: Pretty impressive dexterity

  • over all those different feathers.

  • Dan: It looks so fluid.

  • Gav: Yeah. That was cool.

  • How close can we get to him?

  • Like, would I be able to get a close-up of his face?

  • Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you're fine.

  • Watch your feet.

  • Okay, let's zoom right in on him here.

  • - I think that was his blink. - Yeah.

  • Gav: Let's have a look at that.

  • - Oh, that's weird. - Do you wanna see this?

  • - Yeah. - Oh, man.

  • Okay, ready?

  • That is crazy.

  • - Oh, my God. - Dan: It actually pauses.

  • It's closed, and then it's open again.

  • Gav: It looks like a dinosaur.

  • Dan: That's just one at a time.

  • - It's so weird. - Bree: Oh, my God.

  • - Gav: Isn't that crazy? - Dan: That is mental.

  • And they don't even close and open at the same time.

  • Gav: You can actually-- 'cause of the angle of the eye,

  • you can see it like a curtain coming around.

  • Bree: Yeah, it comes around.

  • Gav: It's so crazy. I could film this all day.

  • - So that's his inner eyelid. - Mm-hmm.

  • So when they're hunting and flying, you know, they can just--

  • - it just keeps their eye moist. - And it's thin enough

  • - for them to see through. - They can see through it.

  • So this seems to be a pretty active bush for hummingbirds.

  • So we've set up the 25/11 at 28,500 frames a second,

  • and have attached a really long trigger cable.

  • So we'll get out the way, and hopefully when we leave,

  • they'll come back and eat.

  • And action, hummingbirds.

  • Got Dan on the binoculars.

  • Dan: No.

  • Gav: Look, there's one there, that-- oh.

  • All right, go on, son. Go on, son.

  • Get in there. Go on, son.

  • Yeah, you can trigger it now any time.

  • All right, take five, hummingbirds.

  • Gav: Wow.

  • Even though it's out of focus,

  • the very tip of the wing is in focus.

  • Dan: 'Cause the focus is so fine on this one, isn't it?

  • Gav: It's just so shallow. Going for the landing.

  • He did that without moving his head an inch.

  • Dan: It's weird how they move their tails like that to stabilize, isn't it?

  • Gav: Yeah, it's causing little gusts of wind on his back feathers.

  • Oh, it's insane. They're just moving their wings around so quick.

  • It's almost like he's steering his shoulders

  • and the head and body are just like--

  • - they just follow along. - Dan: Yeah.

  • We got him feeding there in mid-air.

  • Gav: Didn't bother landing. Oh, that's cool.

  • All right, two Phantoms at once, shall we?

  • So this one is much higher resolution, but not nearly as fast.

  • Doesn't take them long to come back, does it?

  • Dan: No, they quickly see that you're gone

  • and start trying to feed again.

  • Gav: He's checking them all out.

  • Yeah. Yeah!

  • All right, trigger it. Not sure what we'll get there.

  • - Gav: Oh, look at that. - Whoa. Whoa!

  • Gav: He just is not happy about it.

  • Dan: Dive-bombs him. Let him feed.

  • Gav: He's not having it.

  • Dan: He's looking at the other one, thinking,

  • "Am I allowed to feed?"

  • The other one was like, "Then I'll feed."

  • Gav: Well, I saw it in real time

  • and it just looked like playing or something.

  • But in this, it looks so violent.

  • They're very territorial.

  • And that beak is a weapon.

  • - It's like a little sword. - Dan: Yeah.

  • - Gav: He's going for it. - It's all right. It's safe, it's safe.

  • Dan: Oh, you can see it gulping.

  • - Gav: That must be his tongue. - You see that?

  • It's properly gulping it down.

  • That was wicked. Fun to film. Fun to watch.

  • I don't think there's any better subject in slow-mo than animals and nature.

  • - It's very cool. - Even the eagle blinking, it was so alien-looking.

  • There's white curtains coming from the under eyelids sweeping over.

  • So cool that they can see through that when they're flying.

  • - Yeah. - It has a real-- yeah.

  • I'm blown away, honestly.

  • Hopefully, you enjoyed that video.

  • Feel free to subscribe to the Slow Mo Guys,

  • and click over here for more episodes of "Planet Slow Mo."

  • We'll just wait here while you make a decision.

  • - You all right? - Yeah, I'm just getting bitten by all these bugs.

  • Oh, it's all right. Don't worry about it.

Today, we're in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

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