Occasionally I run across a bird that just looks, well…. silly. This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was one of them.
1/800, f/10, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I found the bird perched on a leaning post several years ago at Farmington Bay. It was a cold November morning and the hawk was warming itself in the rays of the rising sun so it was reluctant to leave the perch. It didn’t give me much variety in poses except for this goofy-looking foot stretch. I think the little top-notch created by the breeze and the wildly leaning post all contributed to the silly mood of the image.
I spent 19 minutes with this very calm hawk until another vehicle came along the dirt road and flushed the bird…
1/640, f/10, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
to another near-by perch, this time a log railing along the road edge. Even now the hawk had a hard time completely maintaining its dignity because of some poofed-out feathers on its left shoulder.
1/800, f/10, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I could tell from its demeanor that it wasn’t completely at ease after the vehicle had passed and soon after this shot was taken the hawk took off.
I was quite close to this bird and was shooting at f/10 for more depth of field. At the time I was fairly new to bird photography and still had many lessons to learn. I didn’t need to be this close – today I’d have given this bird more personal space and even taken off my tc for possible take-off shots.
Ron
Wow, these images, particularly the first one, seem to jump off the screen. Merlins and kestrels are frequent enough “fist bumpers” to look natural doing so, but that young Buteo DOES look goofy!
Hey, Mike. I sure wish I had enough experience with Merlins to even know that! I don’t see many of them when they’re migrating through and I don’t really have any photos of them that I’m particularly proud of. I’ll keep pluggin’ away at them though…
After reading your title, I was all prepared to defend this RTH. But then, I had to smile, because, well, he does look somewhat goofy…..but not in the last shot!!
I liked how your defenses went up at the title, Leisa. Thank you.
That first image is certainly a special one!
Thank you, Sonja.
How I would like to be goofy looking with anything like the beauty, poise and panache of this bird. Bad feather days happen to us all – but most of us don’t scrub up this well in them.
The bird is a dandy when it gets itself together, isn’t it, Elephant’s Child.
Clearly this is one of those rare Rorschach Hawks, whose poses stimulate endless conjectures. Thanks for the moment of levity! 🙂
Hmmm, a new red-tail race, huh, Alison?
The clarity in these photos is incredible! And I love the fist bump, so funny. Fun photos Ron!
Glad you enjoyed them, Bryce. Thank you.
On second thought, I’ m pretty sure it was a fist bump…congratulating you on how great your bird photography is…yeah, I think that’s definitely it!
Works for me, Patty…
If that bird wants you to take his picture and be famous, he shouldn’t offer you a knuckle sandwich…and, he should at least comb his hair…JEEEEZ!
Fist bump!
“Fist bump” does seem to be the consensus, Naomi.
Ron, thank you for starting my day with a smile. I needed that.
Always happy to provide a smile, Susan. Thanks.
Even when you were “fairly new to bird photography” you exhibited the instincts which have manifested into one of today’s premier bird photographers.
Great study of a young raptor! I think in the first shot, he was practicing his “fist bump” (“talon bump”?) technique for the next time he meets one of his peers at their favorite watering hole.
A very nice thing to say, Wally. Thank you.
He/she is a young one. I wish their eyes stayed that color. Looks like the bird is doing the Hokey Pokey.
Now that song’s going through my head, Jean…