{"id":83412,"date":"2020-03-30T06:19:33","date_gmt":"2020-03-30T12:19:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=83412"},"modified":"2020-03-30T08:54:23","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T14:54:23","slug":"red-tailed-hawk-takeoff-from-nest-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/30\/red-tailed-hawk-takeoff-from-nest-series\/","title":{"rendered":"Red-tailed Hawk Takeoff From Nest Series"},"content":{"rendered":"

Red-tailed Hawk nesting season is officially here.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1\/4000, 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<\/em><\/p>\n

Three days ago I was able to spend a short time with a mated pair of Red-tailed Hawks as they were working at refurbishing an older nest on the side of a cliff. They always had their backs to me as they approached the nest in flight with nesting material but I managed to get this series of the male as he was leaving the nest after making one of his deliveries.<\/p>\n

All six photos in this series are sequential with no skips.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1\/4000, 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<\/em><\/p>\n

Since I didn’t pick and choose photos from the series it goes without saying that some are better than others. In this shot part of his head is hidden but there’s still light on his face and a catch light in his eye so I decided to include it.<\/p>\n

Besides, peekaboo shots can have a charm of their own. Whether this one does or not depends on the tastes of the viewer. But I think there’s some inherent value in seeing every shot in a takeoff series because doing so gives the viewer a better sense of the dynamics of the transition from takeoff to flight.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1\/4000, 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<\/em><\/p>\n

There are disadvantages to the photographer of having the nest so close to the cliff in the background but there’s a plus side too – the bird has no choice but to take off at least partially in my direction which means I usually should be able to see his face.<\/p>\n

And dreaded butt shots are highly unlikely.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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<\/em><\/p>\n

Now it’s becoming more difficult to keep focus locked on the hawk. I think it helped to have little contrast and detail in the rock face behind him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1\/5000, 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<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the only shot in the series where I managed to get a pretty good look at some of the colors and plumage patterns of the ventral surfaces of both wings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1\/4000, 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<\/em><\/p>\n

The last photo in the series. After this he descended so quickly I lost focus and began to cut off body parts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This was the last time I’ll be able to visit these hawks for a very long time. As of midnight last night Salt Lake County is under a stay-at-home order until at least the end of April so it’s very likely to be weeks before I can get into the field again.<\/p>\n

In the very near future I have a big decision to make – What do I do with Feathered Photography in the interim? I have several options but none of them are particularly good ones.<\/p>\n

I have some serious thinking to do.<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Notes: <\/em><\/p>\n