And the irony of the signpost the hawk was perched on.
These four photos are sequential in a burst without any skips.
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in
Yesterday morning while I had this immature Red-tailed Hawk in my viewfinder I noticed that ‘he’ seemed to react to something behind me so I immediately wondered if he was about to be attacked by another bird. When I saw a shadow suddenly appear somewhere in the viewfinder (I can’t remember where it was, it happened too fast) I just laid on my shutter button and hoped I’d capture something interesting.
The incoming bird turned out to be a Northern Harrier with mayhem on its mind. I got about a half dozen shots that included the harrier but this is the first one where the attacking bird was reasonably sharp. I like the doomed look on the red-tail’s face, as if he’s resigned to being the loser in this confrontation. His eyes and expression remind me of Wile E. Coyote just before the Road Runner gets the best of him once again.
When I first started processing these images I cropped out all of the sign but then I realized the delicious irony of the words “SAFETY ZONE” in this context so I reprocessed the photos to include those words.
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in
Here the red-tail is beginning to react more dramatically to the incoming threat. Unfortunately the harrier’s shadow was passing right over his face and left wing.
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in
At the last split-second the harrier pulled up quickly to avoid actual contact with the larger and more powerful hawk but its talons were left dangling in case they were needed.
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in
This is the last photo that included a significant portion of the harrier. I like the nonplussed, discombobulated body posture and expression of the red-tail.
I’m getting better at being fast enough on the shutter button to capture encounters like this. I’ve had it happen several times recently so I’m more tuned in to the possibility, remote as it usually is.
It was also fortunate that I was using my smaller lens at the time, which gave me more room in the frame and more depth of field for multiple unpredictable subjects.
Ron
PS – The middle tail feather of the harrier appears to be quite different in color from the rest of them. It’s more gray, like that of an adult male, which makes me wonder if this bird is an immature male just beginning to transition into adult plumage. But I’m out of my league here, any thoughts from my readers?
Love your shots, your description of the events, the Safety Zone, and all the comments!
Yes, I agree with you, Ron. The grey deck feathers on the Harrier are indicative of molting into adult male plumage. It does seem a little early but there perhaps was damage to the original deck feathers that caused an early replacement. Great noticing – I would have missed it were it not for your pointing it out. Great series!
Thanks very much for that confirmation, Louise.
Love, Love this series. My fav photo out of the bunch s the cut off version where Harrier only shows talons and very little else. You capture more exciting moments in the birding world than anyone else and I so appreciate the end product!
“You capture more exciting moments in the birding world than anyone else ”
Linda, if that’s even close to true it’s because I’m so interested in behaviors. Given a choice between an interesting behavioral shot and a ‘pretty bird photo’ I’ll take the former every time. So that’s what I try hardest to photograph. Thanks very much for the kind words.
I am glad you left the sign in! The irony made me giggle. I like the last photo, it almost looks like the redtail is looking down to read the sign to double check that he was indeed in the safety zone.
April, I hadn’t thought of what you mentioned in your last sentence. You’re right, it does look like that.
WOW! A fun series! 🙂 Glad your reflexes were working well…. 😉 “Oh shit” seems to be the Red Tail’s expression in the first photo…😄
Wind “moving dirt” in one stretch on the way to town yesterday….😳 Once it starts……..😞
Saw a Northern Harrier trying to navigate the wind on the way in yesterday also.
Judy, I once tried to photograph harriers zooming around in a 50+mph wind at Farmington. Now that was FUN but it’s no surprise that I didn’t get a single keeper.
Great interaction series! Probably, the whole thing lasted only a few seconds. You get an A for alertness.
John, actually it only lasted for slightly more than half a second, at least the part that I could see and photograph. My camera’s burst rate is 10 frames/sec.
Zone of Inhibition
Juvenile(?) Harrier
breakin’ all the rules.
Safe Zone? That’s no barrier
signs are just for fools.
Here I come, talons sharp;
but wait, that Hawk looks grim.
Perhaps it’s better to be smart,
Hah! I sure faked him.
And nearly faked out the photographer!
That poor red-tail. Minding its own business in a safe place…
Yet another brilliant well told and illustrated story.
Thank you.
Thanks, EC. I think the harrier probably took exception to the red-tail’s presence in its hunting territory. The red-tail is likely a relative newcomer.
Wow, that is aMAZing, Ron! Especially like the threat posture of the Red-tail in the last shot. Cool!
Thank you, Ellen.
Nice shots. Get both Hawks in my area. Have to confess, confess I would be cheering for the Harrier!!
John, I think many would be pulling for the harrier.
Your sharp eye and great skill are so evident in this series as they are in all your posts. I know you don’t like man made structures for perches but at least this one seems more adequate than the skinny metal post in some of the other pictures recently. The sign adds to the humor of the situation. Great story.
Betty, in this particular series I like the sign. In this context I think it’s amusing.
Oh, my, this series really had me laughing, starting with the initial “doomed look.” I agree with everyone: you really know how to tell a story. Thanks!
“you really know how to tell a story”
Cathy, if that’s true it’s a leftover from my days in the classroom. There’s nothing more discouraging, and often embarrassing, than to tell a good story to a room full of teenagers and have it fall flat. So I’ve worked on my presentation… 🙂
That last look reminds me of my cats who look like this when they’ve fallen off something or skidded by me. The very pictorial definition of DISGRUNTLED!!!!’ Lol
Yup, disgruntled works well too.
I expect that the harrier had a totally ‘gruntled’ expression on its face though.
🙂
First thing I thought of was the irony of the Safety Zone. That Harrier has no respect for the law. 🙂 I think the Harrier is in charge here only because she is the attacker. The Red-tail is an inch longer, has 6 more inches of wing span, and outweighs the Harrier at 2.4 pounds to 15 ounces. Harriers are my favorite hawks, but if they actually got into a fight I think she would be in trouble. I have sometimes seen our local female high up in the sky playing with two Red-tails and they seem to be having a great time soaring and tumbling and flying close to each other, but never touching.
Ron, your posts are often so much more than just great photos. Stories like this really make Feathered Photography outstanding.
Thanks very much, Everett.
There’s no question that the red-tail would have the advantage in any actual physical confrontation. Among other things their talons are much more powerful. But the lighter, smaller harrier is quicker and more agile than the red-tail and I’m convinced harriers actually enjoy giving their more powerful cousins a hard time. 🙂
Yes – the Harrier floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee 🙂
This series is awesome! That third photo make me laugh like the red tail is trying to be intimidating, while the other photos show the lack there of.
Awesome photos as always!
Thanks, Shane. Given the mud on your pickup and your duck boat being gone from your driveway so often I suspect you’ve met both of these birds… 🙂
Have been out lots and having a good season. Met many of birds, and have taken my Canon Powershot for lots of fun photos. Some photos pleasantly surprise me after review. Enough so that I may move away from the point-n-shoot and into a DSLR.
Actually looking at this one online –
– Canon EOS Rebel T6
– Canon 75-300mm Telephoto Lens
– Canon 18-55mm Lens
Email me at shanesducks801@gmail.com if you wouldn’t mind sharing some thoughts 🙂
Will do, after I get caught up on a couple of things.