Photos: "My heart soars like a hawk ..." -or- Where's that Doug Herr when you really need him ?

[michael s.]

My son spotted a hawk behind our house early in the a.m. <p>

 

My understanding is that these hawks (red-tailed hawks, very common in North

America) often do as this one did: hold very still momentarily from a decent

vantage point (on top of a swing set beam) to scan the area for prey. This was

fortunate for me, as I was shooting through a glass door which, had I opened it,

would've caused the hawk to fly away. <p>

 

This one finally took a good look at me, mocked my amateurish technique, scoffed

at my gear, then took off. <p>

 

The warmer/colder light shift resulted from sunlight that was bright for an

instant, followed by cloud cover. Pretty sure I could "correct" this to make

them all look similar in color temp, but for now I've chosen not to do that. <p>

 

Comments/suggestions always invited (from Doug and everyone else, of course),

along with your own bird photos.

 

<center><img src=http://static.flickr.com/64/170537635_95a841bc11_o.jpg> <p>

 

-1- <p>

 

<img src=http://static.flickr.com/75/171572563_cc6115ef9e_o.jpg> <p>

 

-2- <p>

 

<img src=http://static.flickr.com/46/171572564_2c054ad04d_o.jpg> <p>

 

-3-</center>

[michael s.]

I've made of b & w of the one which, had the hawk been a bit closer, might've prompted me to turn over the deed to the house. (They do have a rather serious bearing, don't they ?) <p>

 

<center><img src=http://static.flickr.com/53/171212490_265eab94e2_o.jpg> <p>

 

-4-</center>

[SCL]

Wow! I only get Grackles and Crows performing like that. I just had a Heron fly-in for lunch to my decorative pond and proceed to eat six recently acquired guests...glad it wasn't accompanied by your friend. BTW I just saw a message on another forum that Doug Herr is presently vacationing in Alaska...maybe your friend is searching for him.

[michaelging]

Michael , these are all very good photos, it appears to be a immature bird . I like all the photos but the first one appears to be the sharpest. I was wondering if you were using AF and if you put the spot on the bird or the beam. In the second and third photo it seems to me that you are a little front focused, the beam seems sharper than the bird. Still all three shots are great. Thanks for sharing them.

[blowingsky]

Nice shots. You caught its wild heart as if it came from another world just briefly into this.

 

But you're bound to get some comments on the weird knotted turd it makes.

[vivek iyer]

Nice shots Michael but I can't help laugh at the wise crack from Peter! :-)

[vivek iyer]

Sorry, I forgot add a photo..

[vivek iyer]

Huh?<div></div>

[thomas_sullivan]

very cool Michael

[travis l.]

not a leica, but it is a redtail hawk.<div></div>

[brambor]

Great shots Michael.

<p>

while we're in the animal kingdom:

<p>

Mine does not fly but I saw your post on my way home and snapped it just for you.

<p>

<img src=http://static.flickr.com/63/172335160_41a371787d_o.jpg>

[ronald_moravec1]

Save them as is and amke a new file if you want to change anything. Save it as something else before you work on it.

 

Nice pics. Whe have these near Chicago and they are absolutly terriffic finding thermals and gliding for hours. Wonderful beasts.

 

Now DuPage co.west of Chicago is hosting falcons in addition to the owls and hawks. This year most of the small game is gone, rabbits, squirls, chipmonks, small dogs and cats, etc. I hear the falcons are well fed.

[michael s.]

Thanks all.

 

Appreciated Vivek, Travis, and Rene posting creature shots, both flying and non-flying.

 

As to focus, Michael G, I suspect operator error accounts for most of the lack of sharpness in my shots. I was handholding a camera with zoom lens (not i.s.) racked all the way out. And I've often said I'm far from the most steady-handed snapper. The light on the hawk (vs. the wooded area immediately behind) was luckily very good.

 

Doug's in Alaska, eh ? Well, it's certainly fine with me if he posts from there ... or when he gets home. Look fwd to seeing photos from Alaska -- lots of beautiful birds there, including many eagles.

 

Peter M - I sure hadn't looked at it that way before :-)

[Prof-K]

Nice shot guys! Mine flys too...<br>

<br><center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/4594432-lg.jpg"></img><br><br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/4594435-lg.jpg"></img></center>

[Prof-K]

Oops, should have posted the first one as a link. Sorry!

[ky2]

<p align="center"><img src="http://www.portuguese-chicken.com/Pictures/Chicken%205.jpg" width="500"><br><Br>I like birds too.</p>

[rich815]

Nice shots. I do not believe that's a R-T Hawk. I think it may be a Broad-winged Hawk, maybe even a Cooper's Hawk.

[rich815]

Here's a Red-Tailed Hawk I got very lucky with.<p>

 

<p>

 

<center><img src="http://contaximages.com/files/0002/redtailtakeoffweb600_.jpg"><p>

 

Contax RX, 100-300/4.5-5.6 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lens, Kodak EBX<P>

 

</center><p>

[mark_chappell]

Hmm. Are you sure that's a red-tailed hawk (RTH)? Young buteos can be a pain to

identify, but to me, this one looks more like a broad-winged hawk than a redtail. It seems

a little too lightly built for a RTH, especially in the feet, and it doesn't have the 'belly band'

of spots many RTHs have. And the white 'eyebrow' and dark 'moustache' mark at the rear

of the mouth look a lot like what's often seen with a broad-winged hawk. <P>

 

Where was the photo taken? If you're east of the Rocky Mountains, I'm betting your bird is

a broad-winged hawk.<P>

 

Some photos of red-tails, young and old (these are from California):<P>

 

<center>

youngsters:<BR>

<img src="http://www.biology.ucr.edu/personal/MACphotos/birds3/RTHjuv1b.jpg">

<img src="http://www.biology.ucr.edu/personal/MACphotos/birds3/RTHwetJuv.jpg">

<P>

 

<img src="http://www.biology.ucr.edu/personal/MACphotos/birds3/RTHjuv1.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.biology.ucr.edu/personal/MACphotos/birds3/RTHfly2.jpg"><P>

 

adults:<BR>

<img src="http://www.biology.ucr.edu/personal/MACphotos/birds3/RTHflyb.jpg"> <img

src="http://www.biology.ucr.edu/personal/MACphotos/birds3/darkRTH.jpg"><P>

 

<img src="http://www.biology.ucr.edu/personal/MACphotos/birds3/RTHperched.jpg">

<img src="http://www.biology.ucr.edu/personal/MACphotos/birds3/RTHflyc.jpg"><P>

 

<img src="http://www.biology.ucr.edu/personal/MACphotos/birds3/RTHadultfly.jpg">

 

</center>

[Alex_Es]

An oldie but goodie. The day I shot a crow with a Voigtlander 12/5.6.<div></div>

[vivek iyer]

Alex! I have the utmost respect for folks who dare use a wide angle to shoot birds! Your Crow shot rocks!<div></div>

[Alex_Es]

Nice one, Vivek.

 

That crow surprised me. He was probably stoned.

[michael s.]

Seems I may have been mistaken on the identification of the hawk. Thanks for the info, Richard and Mark, and the fine photos, too.

 

Hadn't noticed the 'moustache' until that was pointed out.

 

Could it be that our local hawk (I'm in the Washington, D.C. metro area) just needs a shave ?

[mark_chappell]

<I>Seems I may have been mistaken on the identification of the hawk. Thanks for the info,

Richard and Mark...</i><P>

 

You're welcome, and as I said, these things are often a real challenge to identify, even for

experienced birders. Especially redtails, with their highly variable plumages. I'm not 100%

sure that your bird is a broad-winged, but that's my best guess! I don't see many of them,

since they're rare migrants were I live (west coast).

[EricBoehm]

Rene says <em>Mine does not fly...</em><p>Thank God!! ;-)