Red-tailed Hawk – Life Repeating Itself

Two days ago this Red-tailed Hawk had me wondering if I was in some kind of time warp.

Blog followers will likely remember that on Thursday of this week I photographed a presumed female Red-tailed Hawk on a rusty metal fencepost in an attractive setting of phragmites with a marshland playa in the background. Something in the vegetation directly below that fencepost spooked the hawk twice before she eventually took off which allowed me to get several nice takeoff and flight shots.

 

1/4000, ISO 6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

The very next day, Friday, I found the same hawk perched in a tree perhaps 100 yards away from the fencepost she had been on the day before. She allowed me some nice unobstructed photos before she…

 

 

1/3200, ISO 6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

took off…

 

 

1/3200, ISO 6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

to the northeast.

I figured I’d seen the last of her for that morning but I was wrong. Guess where she landed.

 

 

1/5000, ISO 6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

She chose the same metal fencepost I’d photographed her perched on almost exactly 24 hours before. She was facing roughly the same direction and I was shooting from almost exactly the same spot as I had the day before so it felt like déjà vu all over again (I’ve been using that phrase borrowed from Yogi Berra a lot lately).

Once again I was determined to get takeoff and flight shots so I settled in and waited for her to launch. While I was waiting I remembered that the day before she’d twice been spooked by something potentially threatening in the vegetation directly below her and if that happened again I wanted to be fast enough on the trigger to photograph her reaction.

It was a tense wait because I knew I’d have to be lightning fast on the shutter button but I also knew it was a long shot. What were the chances that something would spook her into a startle reaction a third time?

But that’s exactly what happened, only this time she was so seriously spooked…

 

 

1/4000, ISO 6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

she was scared right off her perch. I’ve said before that I think I have pretty quick reflexes but this panicked takeoff happened so incredibly fast I’m amazed I was able to capture her before her left foot even left the perch.

 

 

1/4000, ISO 6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

In these first two flight shots it may look like she took off after prey on the ground but…

 

 

1/4000, ISO 6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

I’m absolutely convinced that she wasn’t after prey – her only concern was getting the hell away from that perch and the potential danger she’d sensed below it as quickly as she possibly could.

 

 

1/3200, ISO 6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

Here she’s looking directly at me to confirm that I’m not a threat (yes, her left nictitating membrane is partially closed). Immediately after this shot was taken she veered off sharply to my left causing me to lose focus on her and cut off body parts. I’m not sure where she went but she didn’t go after prey on the ground and my opportunities with her were over for the morning.

The series of near-repetitive events from the previous morning felt really strange while I was experiencing them. I recognized the hawk immediately when I saw her in the tree that second morning and then to have her fly to the same perch as the previous day and then once again be spooked by something below that perch almost made me feel like I was trapped in a time loop like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. If these events had occurred on February 2 I’d have been seriously spooked myself.

And I’ll tell you what. I’d really like to know what keeps spooking this bird at that perch. And why she keeps returning to it.

Ron

 

27 Comments

  1. I love these photos and the story behind them. Can’t believe you didn’t trek into the weeds to check out what may have spooked her! I hope she performs her acrobatics for you again. Thank you for your talent and your tenacity, Ron!

    • Thank you, Melanie.

      I don’t walk out there. Doing so would trample the vegetation and if everyone did it you can imagine what it would eventually look like. And if the hawk saw me at the fence post she might abandon it as a favorite perch.

  2. Just to chime in, perhaps Friday’s will be your groundhog days. I’ll gues we’ll find in about five days. Your post was most enjoyable with a tinge of creepy.

  3. As I looked at the pics I wonder if the last “perch” was just uncomfortable. I adore all your pictures and story-accounts.

  4. Why she keeps returning to the spot where she’s been spooked before? Maybe she’s a thrill-seeker! 😬 Yeah, no idea, but nice that you also returned to the spot to catch this latest action. She’s a gorgeous hawk and you’ve captured some terrific images. That last one is great, but I think the one prior is my favorite—wings way up, legs hanging way down. And, of course, those britches/pantaloons.

  5. Oh how I wish she could speak English (or that you spoke RTHA)! I wonder if there’s a rattlesnake or badger den nearby. There must be some benefit to that post for her to keep returning in spite of being spooked multiple times.

    Every shot in this series is a winner! I’ll join the standing ovation, for sure! It’s interesting to me that her tarsi look pretty thick in the tree takeoff shots, but look much skinnier in the post takeoff shots. I’m sure it has to do with lighting and angles, but it’s still pretty nifty.

    • Marty, what you describe about how her tarsi look is why I pulled my punches with “presumed” in sexing her.

      It’s too cold for snakes to be out but I have wondered if it could be a weasel. Weasels are being seen in that general area.

      On the other hand I suspect she might go after a weasel as prey.

      • Her tarsi look a lot bigger in your last post with her, so I think you’re right about tagging her as female (of course, I’m no expert — in much of anything these days 😂)

        I hedged on rattlesnake den, but I jumped in on the badger end of the weasel gene pool — just because they can be such assholes. 😉

  6. I join the standing ovation. These shots are spectacular, and I think representation of your years of dedication. Like everyone else, I can’t help but speculate as to what spooked her, but my first thought was some kind of snake, perhaps one with a built-in noisemaker. Is that a possibility in this location?

    And thanks for making me smile with the Yogi Berra quote. It put me in mind of another of his: “I didn’t say half the things I said!”

  7. What a beautiful series of photos and a edge of my seat story❗️Oh… and that nemesis metal post. So interesting that she keeps going back to it with something always spooking her.
    Enjoy the day 😁

  8. Like everyone else I am intensely curious about what can have spooked her sooo much. And why she came back to the post, after being scared off it only days ago.
    If I had an arsenal which included talons like the ones on display on your second photo I cannot imagine being that scared by something on the ground. That scared by something else which obviously likes the area as much as she does.
    And yes, as well as the talons I also noticed (and appreciated) her pantaloons.
    Yet another brilliant series.

  9. I know little about bird behavior so this is an uninformed question–I wonder why she doesn’t launch higher if there’s something she’s trying to flee on the ground? Perhaps Red Tails cannot attain altitude quickly but instead must fly horizontally for a while before they get enough lift? I second the standing ovation. It’s wonderful the way you’re able to capture a sequence that shows us so much of what transpired.

    • Linda, it may be because taking off at a low angle would get her away from the perch quicker since she’d be fighting gravity less than if she’d taken off at a higher angle.

  10. Spectacular series Ron! Each photo is a gem. While reading your blog this am there were so many gasps and squeals of joy coming from me! My husband had to investigate LOL! The last shot of her flying directly toward you is so unique. Literally LOVE each pic. Standing ovation!

  11. You certainly have my curiosity piqued! What would cause her to feel threatened and fly off…a mystery yet to be solved. Hope you get the chance to follow up with her. Your last photo is a real winner…love the undulations in those wings!

  12. Everett F Sanborn

    ;Remarkable repeat performance and an excellent series from start to finish. I like your series like this that tell a story to go along with the outstanding photography. Wonder what could be around that same post that would scare her that soundly? Coyote, bobcat, wolf, ????? With that heavy vegetation I don’t think you will ever know what is in there unless you hike in and even then whatever would just slink away before you saw it.

Comments are closed