She sure fooled me.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Yup, it’s the female rufous red-tail again and six days ago I found her perched on this old snag with a cliff directly behind her. Eventually she performed a nice wing-stretch but during the process she ducked her head behind the broken branch directly in front of her and spoiled those photos.
Stretching is often a precursor to taking off so I prepared myself for getting some takeoff and flight shots. Her mate was perched some distance to the left so I figured she would probably join him since these two birds spend a lot of time together. They seem to be very fond of each other.
So I removed my teleconverter to give me more room for her open wings and waited for launch.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
I was right, she took off soon after the stretch but I was wrong about her intended destination. In this shot we have no hint about where she’s going but…
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
we do in the next one. Just before landing birds tend to look at their intended perch for obvious reasons Here she already has her eye on the top of the arched branch at the end of the snag she’d just left.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
Her intended perch was less than 2′ away from the one she’d just vacated.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
Touch down.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
The tendency of birds to look at the spot where they’re about to land means I often miss getting catch lights in their eyes, especially in head-on shots like this one and the previous two. But I was lucky to have even kept her in the frame without clipping any body parts. Usually when birds take off I’m already moving my lens in the direction I think they’ll fly so I’m pleasantly surprised that I didn’t continue moving my lens to the left and leave her behind.
While she was perched it didn’t even enter my mind that she might fly such an incredibly short distance, especially with her mate perched out there in the direction she was looking. As hard as I try to interpret and anticipate bird behaviors they often have surprises in store for me.
Ron
Your photos make a good case for this to be the national bird. Not just any Red-tailed Hawk- THIS extraordinary bird. Majestic, noble, dignified, inspiring; qualities that need to be regained in our polity.
The second shot is fascinating. Very artistic to me. The bend of her wings and piercing look, the contrast of life and death, rough and smooth. It is an excellent piece of work.
I’m glad you like it, Ron. Thank you.
I suspect she and her mate had a surreptious chuckle.
She is an absolute beauty.
And, despite the energy it takes, if I could fly I would. In much the same way some drivers get in the car for very short trips.
I’m sure they both did, EC. They may still be laughing about it…
Psych! She definitely got you on that one. Such a pretty thing though.
She sure did, Arwen. And yes, she certainly is.
The Eagle…whoops!…the HAWK has landed! 😉 For some reason, this entire post — the shots, your descriptions — has me giggling out loud, and for that, I’m quite grateful.
Giggles are a good thing. Glad I could supply some mirth for you this morning, Marty.
Sensational series Ron!
Thanks, Charlotte.
The dazzling Rufous Redtail putting on a show! Really cool to see so clearly the power and skill it takes to just change branches. That rufous breast in the last few shots is incredible, “lustrous” as Kris says, beautiful!
The last three images give a good look at her expansive and powerful tail with feathers deployed in different shapes as she powers and finesses to her new perch. Beautiful shots Ron, that clear light from a week ago sure looks good to me.
You provide some insightful observations, Dave. Thank you.
“As hard as I try to interpret and anticipate bird behaviors they often have surprises in store for me.” Your closing sentence says it all Ron. In spite of your years of experience even you are sometimes fooled. Just the other day I was photographing an eagle pair and as I watched the female reposition herself I knew she was going to take off, and I was confident that she would go to the left. She was probably laughing at me as she quickly turned and flew rapidly to her right. Once again these are beautiful photos of a beautiful bird. Hard to decide on which one I like best. Thanks for sharing these.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Thanks, Everett. Reminds me of my ex-wife, just when you think you’ve got them figured out…
Lordy but she’s a magnificent specimen ! Not just her coloration, either–everything about her—wing-stretches, posture, the lustrous condition of her feathers ( except that
one ) seems just over the top; it’s no wonder that you’re following her so closely. I’m glad also that she seems to have a fine mate !
Yes, I’m addicted to her, Kris…
She and her mate seem very devoted to each other.
Na, na, na, na, na…. 😉 Has to keep it challenging for you! Great shots of the acrobatics involved to move that short distance! 🙂
Acrobatics indeed, Judy. She also had to negotiate all those branches that almost surround her.
No clipped wings in that 3ntire series….well done! Nice wings up series.
Thanks, LS. Yes, I was lucky that way. But when she took off from the second perch I lost focus on her immediately so my luck abandoned me. I think I lost focus because the cliff was so close behind her.