I finally captured my first Hawk – Woot! Woot! :O) I was out walking my dog Blaze around the bay this morning and on the way back home, sitting on a branch close to the road was a beautiful Red Shouldered Hawk. I was so excited but didn’t have my camera so I jogged (I never jog) my dog back home, grabbed my camera and scurried back down the road in the hopes that I hadn’t missed him (or her. I never know the gender of the birds I shoot). I hadn’t – still there – I creeped up behind the Hawk and stooped low so as not to disturb him. I was also wearing a white t-shirt which is a No No for bird photography. I was also shaking which I usually do when shooting wildlife because I get so excited and nervous I can’t keep the camera still while zooming in. Anyway as he turned around he spotted me and within a minute he was gone into deeper woods. I was still able to grab a couple of decent shots. Here he is, isn’t he Beautiful!! :O)
Red Shouldered Hawk – “I see you!” (click to enlarge)
Red Shoulder Hawk “I’m watching you” (click to enlarge)
Red Shoulder Hawk “I’m outta here!” (click to enlarge)
Great close-up shot, and what a beautiful face. I think I may run out and get that Canon SX40 just for situations such as this. I also wanted to stop by and thank you for liking my post about the little Canada gosling. I’ve just come back from Norway and was able to photograph puffins, sea eagles and lots of other birds, which I will blog about soon. I could have used that 840mm reach, as I only had a 600. You do a lovely job with nature photography.
Thank you Jennifer. Red-Shouldered Hawks are indeed beautiful. I highly recommend the SX-40 HS. The zoom plus the light weight make is so much easier to capture wildlife shots in particular. I will look forward to your posts from Norway!
Beedie, seeing an unusual bird like this is considered a good omen. Maybe this means good things are coming your way! Beautiful bird, and bravo on being so motivated to photograph him (or her).
Thank you Aparna for your very kind remarks and for stopping by my blog :O) I have since found out there is a raptor biologist in our area studying raptors and he found her nest on my street. I have since seen her a few times. I think she has made 3rd street her home. I presume she has babies on the way or they are here and very small. Thank you again Aparna for stopping by my site.
Ah, so it’s a sexy lady hawk! How sweet. If you find the babies and somehow manage to take photos of them, I think my heart might melt
This photo was really fantastic – I cannot say that enough!
Great pictures! I’ve always loved hawks, but I haven’t had a chance to photograph one yet. Maybe sometime!
Thank you James. I’m hoping for a Hawk or two to come your way very soon! :O)
Thank you!
LOL :O)
Nice shot! How close did you end up getting before it flew off? I’m always on the lookout for an opportuity like this. Great job!
Hi there photonature! I was just behind him across the road. Not to far but I didn’t want to move any closer or get in front of him. But I was close enough for the zoom on my camera to close in and just lucky enough that he turned his head to spy me and look right at me before flying off. I believe I would have gotten a lot closer if I would have been wearing camouflage clothing or something other than a white T-shirt which really caught his eye.
He is! Amazing photo! How do you get so close? Even with a pretty good lens you would still have to be pretty close…
Hi Allthingsboys! I was across the road and crouched down pretty low. My camera has an amazing zoom lens. It’s the main feature of the Canon SX40 – 35x Zoom Lens (24-840mm Equivalent). So it allows me to get really close. When shooting birds I always stay low for long periods of time and just wait. I’ve been practicing Chen Tai Chi from a Master school in San Luis Obispo for several years and our stances are very low to the ground. That has really helped me to stay low for shots and in one position for long periods of time. Thanks for asking!! :O)
Well they are really amazing! What a great zoom! And I’d guess the Tai Chi is helpful, else you’d be getting cramps in your legs and wouldn’t be able to get back up! LOL.
Awesome series Beedie.
What a cracker, Beedie.
:O)
Thank you very much H.J. I was very exciting and shaking. Too funny uh? A couple of readers have asked if this is a ‘young’ hawk or ‘adult’. What do you think?
I’m so proud of you BD! You got the opportunity, he excitement and the subject but very little time, you made things work! Beautiful shots!
How lucky you were it was still there? That never seems to happen to me. I can read how excited you were, congratulations on your first hawk, perhaps the first of many.
Thank you very much Leanne. Yes! I was so very excited. HeeHee. I hope you get a Hawk soon..or a bird you’ve been seeking.
Oh wow! great shots, Beedie! I definitely like the second photo, I like how he/she posed for you
Is it me, or does he/she looks like a baby still?
I don’t know Gracie. I’m gonna need some help from ‘birding’ photographers on wordpress that know more than I do on that one. I know the red-shouldered hawk is not that big compared to say the red-tailed hawk. 18-24″ compared to 20-25″ in the red-tailed.
Is that a baby?
Gee I have no clue Shannon. Looks like an adult to me and according to my birding chart that I have at home.
I wouldn’t know the difference either. He’s so cute though!