![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/red-tailed-hawk-8027-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"red-tailed-hawk-8027-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nPlus a pretty strange looking mule deer.<\/p>\n
The only common theme shared by these two photos is that they were both taken on the same morning five days ago.<\/p>\n
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1\/4000, f\/6.3, 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 Based on her large size and impressive breadth while perched I believe this Red-tailed Hawk is a female. I could only see her through a tunnel through all the branches so when she took off I was lucky to get a shot that was even this clear of her. The photo has obvious issues including out of focus branches in front of the tip of her left wing.<\/p>\n But I was immediately drawn to the impressive amount of continuous surface area provided by her open wings and flared tail. Despite at least one missing or broken wing feather the combined scooped shape and extensive surface area of her wings and tail must have provided her a tremendous amount of lift as she negotiated the narrow pathway through all the branches.<\/p>\n That shape reminded me of that of a delta-winged aircraft, thus my title. But then I know very little about aircraft…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n About an hour earlier on the same morning we had a rather unique look at a mule deer. It was close and laying down on a rise next to the creek at upper right which I thought was an unusual spot to bed down because it was so very steep. I was shooting down at it at a steep angle with my smaller lens so I could get the entire deer in the frame.<\/p>\n This individual still had its long winter coat which was wet (apparently from crossing the creek) and beginning to dry out which gave it an unusual texture and appearance to start with. Throw in its blondish sun-bleached fur and the deer had a unique appearance indeed. Normally I’d delete an image that had so many twigs in front of the face but in this intimate view they actually appeal to me. And I love those tucked feet.<\/p>\n Almost immediately after I took this shot the deer got up, crossed the creek again, and was gone.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Plus a pretty strange looking mule deer.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/mule-deer-3901-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"mule-deer-3901-ron-dudley\\"")
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