A handsome young raptor in a setting I like.
1/1600, 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
This is one of the juvenile red-tails I photographed occasionally in the Wasatch Mountains earlier this month – this photo was taken two weeks ago today. I was shooting slightly upward but I like the setting and I was close so I have very good detail.
1/1600, 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
Even with the dirt road so close to where “he” was perched he was relaxed and content so I never bothered to remove my teleconverter for possible takeoff shots. He didn’t give me many different poses but this head turn that has him looking out into open space appeals to me.
I like backgrounds such as this that include lots of warm, natural colors combined with snippets of blue sky and I think the complementary colors of the bird, rocks and lichens are a bonus.
My nit to pick? I wish we could see his feet.
Ron
Wonderful sho9!
Charlotte
Ron, the colors in the background complement the Hawk’s beautiful colors. So much enjoyed these photos. Thank you
Good. Thanks, Alice.
Of course I love the bird, but that lichen speaks to me too. The complimentary colours in this post remind me (yet again) that Nature is the very best of artists and is shown in the very best of galleries.
Thank you, EC.
Beautiful bird. The redtails seemed very successful in that area this year. I did not see any golden eagles over the summer. I wonder if they moved on and that is why the redtails were so successful? There seemed to be a high yearling deer die off last winter in the area and I saw many eagles, bald and golden, in Feb-April eating the carcasses.
April, I agree – they did well in that area this year. Not so much in other areas as far as I can tell. I saw a few Golden’s this summer but not as many as usual.
The variation in plumage of Red-tailed Hawks seems endless. And always wonderful to see. I hope you see him when he’s older, but then how would you know it’s him?
I wouldn’t know it’s him, Lyle. I’ve often wondered how many times I’ve seen these young birds in later years and never recognized them. Hope it’s been a bunch…
He is giving you a little peekaboo with that one toe. 😏😎
Beautiful shot — gorgeous colors, great composition and quite the dapper subject!
“He is giving you a little peekaboo with that one toe”
Good eye, Marty. I’m embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t even noticed the toe (even though I carefully masked the bird prior to sharpening…).
Beautiful shots. The sharpness of the Red-tail and the rocks, the foreground overpower the background which makes these shots for me! Just great!
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Dick.
Very nice photos Ron. I like those background colors too. What a handsome juvenile. The rocks and the lichens certainly do compliment the hawk. Red-tails are so common that we so often take them for granted, but they really are very handsome birds especially a youngster like this who hasn’t been through hundreds of hunting wars.
They used to be very common around here but not quite so much anymore, Everett. Hope that’s just a local and temporary trend…
Truly beautiful! I love the combination of the blurred and sharp with the blue adding something special. Also the fine twigs with the rocks, lichens…a nice variety of textures without being overloaded. You have two excellent photos. He is a fine specimen…I wish him a long life.
“He is a fine specimen…I wish him a long life”
So do I, Kathy. But the odds are against him so he could use all the good luck he can get.
Nit pick away! 😉 Beautiful hawk in a beautiful setting – nice vegetation, some still green for contrast and a bit of clear blue sky but not overwhelming. Background could certainly take over in this case but doesn’t 🙂 I always love those lichen covered rocks. It must be used to a certain amount of traffic to just sit there….
There’s just something about lichens in bird photos isn’t there, Judy. Thank you.