![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ferruginous-hawk-9971-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"ferruginous-hawk-9971-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nOn a recent post I said that I seldom stop to photograph buteos on utility poles but yesterday morning I made an exception for a young Ferruginous Hawk. A dramatic, spinning takeoff made me glad I did.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1\/6400, f\/8, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n This winter I’ve seen and photographed more Rough-legged Hawks and fewer Ferruginous Hawks than usual so yesterday morning when I found this immature Ferrug on a utility pole I couldn’t resist getting ‘him’ in my viewfinder and having a look. I’m not fond of having utility wires and hardware in my photos so my best hope was for post-takeoff flight shots.<\/p>\n But even that hope was a very long shot because he had his back to me, so if\/when he took off he would most likely give me only butt shots in flight. But there was a possibility that he’d take off laterally to me so I waited a while to see what he might do.<\/p>\n Having him twist on his perch during takeoff and fly mostly toward me was such a remote possibility that I didn’t even consider it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm<\/em><\/p>\n But that’s exactly what he did.<\/p>\n When I looked at my photos of his takeoff the word “pirouette” immediately came to mind, even though technically this maneuver doesn’t qualify because he performed his spin on both feet instead of just one. Close enough for me.<\/p>\n When I first pulled up on this bird I was using my 500mm lens and I was too close to him to avoid cutting off body parts if he took off. So not long before he launched I switched to my smaller zoom lens, my “baby lens”. This time I made a good choice at the right time. All too often that doesn’t happen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is my favorite flight posture of the series. But you know me and “hardware” so I…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm<\/em><\/p>\n had to see what the photo would look like without all the wires and insulators.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm<\/em><\/p>\n When he initially took off he went higher than I expected him to, so even with my smaller lens I clipped body parts. As a result I’m not including two of those shots. But I like this one as he was completing his turn mostly in my direction prior to flying over my right shoulder.<\/p>\n I just wish I liked utility poles and hardware in my photos as much as raptors like to perch on them.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On a recent post I said that I seldom stop to photograph buteos on utility poles but yesterday morning I made an exception for a young Ferruginous Hawk. A dramatic, spinning takeoff made me glad I did. (5 images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ferruginous-hawk-9976-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"ferruginous-hawk-9976-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ferruginous-hawk-9977-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"ferruginous-hawk-9977-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ferruginous-hawk-9977-wires-removed-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"ferruginous-hawk-9977-wires-removed-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ferruginous-hawk-9980-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"ferruginous-hawk-9980-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\n