It’s been much too long since I’ve had a Ferruginous Hawk with photographic potential in my viewfinder but yesterday morning this young bird came through for me big time.
I was driving slowly on a dirt/gravel road soon after dawn when I came upon the hawk perched on a fencepost (not this fencepost) in front of me. I photographed “him” on the post for a while but soon another vehicle passed me from behind and flushed the bird as it went by. He took off away from me but he quickly landed again on this post slightly further away from the road. This photo was taken just as he touched down far away from me. I’m including it for documentary purposes only.
So I approached him a second time and this time there wasn’t another vehicle coming so he stuck. He was very calm and allowed me to photograph him on the post for quite a while as he rested, preened and roused (and I think he even tried to regurgitate a pellet).
There was a very cold breeze from the south (my left) and as a bird photographer wind isn’t normally my friend. But in this situation I figured that if/when he took off he would launch to my left and into the wind instead of away from me again and that would be a great angle for takeoff and flight shots.
I sure as hell didn’t want to miss that so I resolved myself to not take my eye off the viewfinder or my finger off the shutter. It was a long wait but eventually and with no warning…
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
that’s exactly what happened – he took off into the breeze.
My shutter fired at just the right time to catch him in one of my favorite raptor takeoff postures. I had a great light angle on him, I have eye contact and a catch light, the mountains in the background provided good contrast for the hawk, the bird is sharp and I really like that weathered and frayed old juniper post in warm light as a launching platform. Just about my only nit to pick is I wish I had a little more room on the left for a slightly improved composition.
I also took some interesting photos of him while perched and some nice shots while he was in flight but I didn’t have time to process them for today’s post so you’ll be seeing those photos in the near future.
Ron
Marvelous shots Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
Very different but complementary backgrounds in both photos. Beautiful bird; I’d have to go way south and or east to see one. I was out birding at 45-50º today. Chilly but not Utah chilly:)
Thanks, Lyle. Nope, not Utah chilly. I saw 11° just before I got to my shooting site this morning. And there was a breeze so it was COLD with my windows down and my lens out the window.
As I look at your beautiful Ferruginous I look up at a picture on my wall of a Bald eagle in the exact same pose❤️
My favorite also❗️
🙂
How wonderful to find a co-operative star. And star he/she was. I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of this beauty.
Love the pantaloons and the salute to the sun in that wing fling.
Thank you, EC. Figured you’d notice those britches…
Beautiful liftoff photo! The only thing that would make me happier is if this youngster had a bulging crop.
April, The photos were taken just after sunrise so he may not have had a chance yet to capture his first meal of the day.
I’ll just say “AWESOME!”
& Thank you for sharing with us.
I’ll take awesome any day, CJ!
Ron, you called it right. A beautiful shot of this beautiful bird. Thank you
Thanks, Alice.
Love, love, love! But then, you’ve shared a raptor and raptors ALWAYS delight my heart (along with most birds and critters). LOL!
A friend is flying a Ferrug in Utah this year and I can’t wait for his updates. Funny, but I just realized that you generally default to male while I generally default to female. That’s probably one of the changes in my life wrought by Mariah (female redtail). Anyway, said friend thought his Ferrug was a male but did the DNA test. Luna, his Ferrug, is a girl! I told him so, but he didn’t listen 😉
Thanks, Laura. I use the female pronoun occasionally but more often the male because I think it’s less… distracting for the average reader.
Like Laura, I especially enjoy the raptors, and the ferruginous most especially as we don’t get them here out East. Great shot! Beautiful bird!
Beautiful shot and great timing. Nothing like a really good take-off shot. I have always been amazed at how small or wind blown or just frail looking some of the things raptors and even eagles can land on. Often what they land on does not seem like it could possibly hold them.
Handsome, handsome fellow! The landing shot is something else — such a beautiful position. I’d call it more than just a documentary shot. The bonus: a beautiful wing fling on takeoff — woo hoo! 😃
A fine specimen to match it’s name…’regalis’! Love that launch pose! 😍 (The other one is not too shabby either…I find backside photos to be interesting). I managed to photograph one at a distance on one of my western trips driving from MT to AZ. I, of course at the time, did not know what it was but once home I was able to figure it out. This is not a hawk we see here in WI.
“I find backside photos to be interesting”
So do I, Kathy. I have another photo taken just after that one that allowed us to see his face but the wing position wasn’t nearly as interesting.
Gorgeous shot, Ron! 🙂 The angle/stretch/light are wonderful! I also now am sure what hawk we’ve had around for a day or two and that I saw about a week ago… 😉 White underside with dark, mottled top and white tail stripe at the base! Current one comes in pretty close tho flushes when I come out. Think it’s looking for pheasants that are coming in…..
Thank you, Judy. Ferruginous Hawks can be fairly common in your area and from your description I suspect you’re right. They do tend to be hard to approach (unless they’re high up on a utility pole next to a road) but I think this one was more approachable on a low perch because it’s an immature bird.
Wonderful shots Ron! Love the second shot, great wing extension, you got this beauty perfectly!
We got your storm the past several days a lot of rain. Now its cold, 21 this early AM, white haze on the grass. Finally some sun!!!!
Thank you, Dick. Enjoy your sun! I hope you get some birds or critters or both to go along with the light.