I believe this to be the male of the Red-tailed Hawk pair I’ve been following since early spring.
1/2500, 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
Yesterday morning I found him perched on a lichen-covered rock ledge while his mate was with their youngsters on the nest. I only spent a short time with him and he surprised me by ending our session with a cooperative takeoff. In the past this bird has typically been too far away for quality photos or he would take off away from me providing only butt shots. But this time he was close enough that…
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
I had to remove my teleconverter to give me a better chance to avoid clipping body parts and he launched mostly in my direction.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
When he did so it was one of those diagonal takeoffs that I like so much with the wingtips mostly filling the frame from an upper corner to the opposite lower one. And for my tastes the rocky ledge and vegetation at bottom anchoring the bird are a bonus.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
And as he crossed diagonally and slightly behind me I was able to get several more flight shots. This was one of my favorites even though there’s nothing in the background but blue sky.
The youngsters of this pair and one other pair of red-tails I’ve been watching (from a respectful distance of course) in the area are growing fast. In a few weeks I’m hoping to be able to watch and photograph them as they fledge and begin to learn the life skills necessary for survival.
I wish them well.
Ron
Lovely series!
Ron,
Sorry if I cramped your style Tuesday.
Stephen
Yeah…that’s just the definition of beauty! You know I’m a fool for redtails and this one is a looker, even when you factor in my ga-ga attitude 😉 I agree that’s probably the male and that the kids will fledge soon. I see that his tail is heavily banded. I love that and it seems the redtails in your area often show the heavy tail banding.
What an outstanding series of shot. I so appreciate your work and that you share it with us!
Gorgeous takeoff shots. You’ve captured the changes in the wing and “landing gear” positions well.
What a beautiful bird! The first photo looks like the hawk is posing for you [statuesque]. I like the fourth photo with the left wing underside so fan-like.
It must be so much fun for you [and ultimately for us] to follow this family. I, like others, look forward to seeing the whole family.
Thank you for your endless dedication.
Thank you, Alice.
Love the way that you stalking this family has been rewarded. And am sooooo looking forward to seeing the rest of the family. And applauding the effort (yours and theirs).
Thanks, EC. Time will tell if I can get shots of those youngsters.
In addition to your exceptional photography I would like to leave a complimentary comment about the layout of your blog. Your blog pages shine with thought, planning and careful layout which make them an interesting pleasure to read, view and learn from. I haven’t left a comment before but I feel the need to thank you for sharing your high standards and quality work in the manner that you do.
So very nice of you to make that thoughtful comment about my blog, Dave. I’ve gotten behind on some “housecleaning” on my layout so hopefully I’ll be able to get to it sometime soon.
Great photos of this handsome and beautiful hawk, from wingtip to wingtip! Looking forward to seeing those chicks/fledges … the anticipation is building! 😁
I hope those youngsters pan out with some interesting photos, Chris. We’ll see…
Nice series…I like the diagonal, wings wide spread, too…
Thanks, Patty.
Beautiful series. The flight shot with just the blue sky is fine with me, because I can spend a lot of time looking at the details of the bird’s feathers. For me, with that kind of detail, a different background would detract from the photo. In the diagonal take-off shot, the background complements the bird. IMHO. 🙂
Thanks, Susan. That blue sky background is ok with me too. I just prefer something else back there when it doesn’t distract from the bird – and for me it doesn’t in that third shot.
They grow fast. I hope to swing by a nest I have been watching next week. It has been a while, the chicks will probably be sitting on the edge by now.
I hope you can get out soon, April.
Again, a great series of shots. So many fun things to look at – the splayed tail, feet after pushing off. . . .
You may appreciate this. My camera has been at Nikon for repair for about 3 weeks. I feel like part of my family is missing.
Ann, I KNOW that feeling when a vital piece of photo gear is in the shop for an extended period. Separation anxiety over gear isn’t fun…
Lovely series Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
Gorgeous shots, Ron. Glad he cooperated and your timing on getting rid of the teleconverter worked for the shots. It will we fun to watch the young fledge. 🙂
Judy, In this situation timing and luck are everything. More often than not the bird takes off during the 5 seconds or so it takes me to swap out the converter. And that’s a fact!
Doesn’t matter how fast we get – they are faster! 🙂
Nice work Ron, and beautiful images all.
Thanks very much, Utahbooklover.