Plus an exciting and incredibly frustrating experience with an adult Bald Eagle yesterday morning.
1/1250, f/6.3, ISO 1600, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Four months ago in the Wasatch Mountains this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk captured a vole and then returned to this post to enjoy “his” meal. The post was in deep shade from a nearby mountain so in order to have sufficient shutter speed I really had to crank up my ISO.
Here he was about to swallow the last remnants of the vole he’d already been working on for some time. His dining technique was an interesting one. He opened the vole, discarded the intestines and then pulled the rest of the carcass out of the hide (skin and fur) in a process that turned the hide inside out. After swallowing the meat and bones this is all that was left and he swallowed that too.
I took many photos during the process but I’ll spare my readers most of the grisly photo evidence.
As my blog readers know this winter has been a brutal one for bird photography around here because of persistent thick cloud cover and poor light. So yesterday when we finally had some light around noon I headed for some local ponds to see if I could find a cooperative bird or two. While I was driving from one location to another all hell broke loose almost directly above my pickup.
An adult Bald Eagle came from out of nowhere and flew above and very close to my pickup as it was being pursued by an angry Red-tailed Hawk hot on its tail. I’ll never forget the eagle’s frustrated screaming with both birds so close. The hawk was extremely aggressive, coming within just a few feet of the eagle but there wasn’t a damn thing I could do with my camera because I was driving on a city road.
I pulled over to try to take a few shots of them fighting but by then they were out of range.
The eagle eventually took refuge from the hawk in a faraway tree across the river so I drove a circuitous route on city streets to get as close as I could. But the eagle was buried in the tree and reluctant to come out and face that pissed off red-tail again.
I’m almost embarrassed to post this shot. It’s so bad I don’t even care that I cut off the eagle’s tail. Hell, I didn’t even add my copyright watermark but it’s evidence of my frustrating experience with the eagle so I’m posting it anyway.
This photo was taken only about a half mile from my home and there’s a very good chance that the eagle is the same bird that roosted in the huge elm tree in my yard (the tree I took out last spring) in January for many years.
Assuming it’s the same bird I would dearly love to have renewed our acquaintance!
Ron
Well Ron, it seems as though your reputation for fine representation of feathered critters precedes you and now they are flying right to you to put on a show. Now you just have to let them know that the driver’s side at about 15 degrees above the horizon is where they should entertain you. Here’s to more bright weather and wild opportunities for all.
Dave, very soon after I spotted them fighting they were at a good angle out my window for photography for a few seconds. Problem is… I was driving 30mph on a city street at the time.
Well, that is a bit of a problem. Its always those little things that get in the way.
He’s a very neat eater. That must have been one hell of a pellet he threw as well.
I can imagine your frustration and vocabulary as the fracas went on over your head. Hope your Bald Eagle friend does a flyby or 3 or 4 soon. 🙂
Marty, you can bet I’ll be looking for that eagle every day we have light (which might not be very often given our cloudy weather pattern… ).
How frustrating for you to be unable to photograph the fascinating hawk-eagle interaction. The good news is that you at least got to see it. The red-tailed photo has a lot of detail for a high ISO. Good job as usual, Ron. Iit’s amazing what a hawk can do with just its beak and claws. I bet most of us would be challenged to do the same, even if we had a bunch of doctor’s tools like tweezers, scalpel, etc.
You make a good point about how precise the hawk was with the “dissection”, Nancy. This old biology teacher who’s done a lot of dissections was duly impressed.
How very, very frustrating for you. Consider me hissing and spitting on your behalf.
Love the red-tail and its meticulous eating order, and am glad that you got at least one photo of the bald eagle. Am I right in thinking that red-tails punch well above their weight on the aggressive front?
EC, when another raptor enters their territory red-tails can be very aggressive, no matter the size of the intruder.
I always get excited when I see the words Bald eagle😁 I’ll take it branches and all.
It sounds like the hawk was very meticulous on how he likes his meal❗️
Here in Sacramento we are having deal with damp thick fog but luckily most days the sun does find it’s way out 🤗
Enjoy your day
(Go Niners!)
Believe me, I was excited Diana – probably more over them fighting so close to me than just seeing the eagle.
My first thought was that the Red-tailed Hawk was gagging on a piece of rope. Amazing that the only evidence of what sounds like a bloody process is a little tinge of red on one claw.
What a sight to see the Hawk/Eagle chase. Crows, sure, but never an RTH. I had to smile at your Bald Eagle photo. Reminds very much of the kind of photo I would take, except I would have probably cut of his head, too.
Lyle, I got a couple of shots where I didn’t cut off the tail but the eagle was looking away so I couldn’t even see the bill much less an eye.
WOW! Great experience even if you didn’t get to capture it! 🙂 The eagles here will “bury” themselves in the old cottonwoods across the creek that way – gave me bit of a giggle even if I KNOW how frustrating it can be when they do that. Amazing what can/will run a Bald or other Eagle……..
Eagles seem to have a “thing for cottonwoods around here too. They’re big enough to hide in and that suits them fine. Not a good thing for us bird photographers though…
Hi Ron, look on the bright side. At least you were able to capture the eagle against a moment of rare blue sky, which is beautiful, nonetheless.
“look on the bright side”
Rick, considering how miserably dark this winter has been I’ll take “bright” anything… 🙂
What a shame you were not able to get the camera onto that battle between the Red-tail and the eagle – that would have been something to see. I have been very close to eagles screaming at ravens and they can be very loud. And regarding the photo of the Red-tail finishing off his meal, it is amazing what a digestive system nature has provided for raptors in order for them to digest some of the things they do. Remarkable too how clear and sharp that photo is considering the deep shade he was in. Great job.
Believe me, I got my share of soft photos of that hawk eating. But some of them turned out pretty well given the conditions.