Yesterday morning I found the rufous male red-tail and his mate again. At least I believe he’s the male of the pair.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed him on a variety of perches and in several interesting situations but here I caught him as he took a split-second break while he was grooming his flashy red tail. Typical of a preening bird I couldn’t see his face or eye for much of the time but this brief respite even allowed a catch light in his eye.
He seemed to know he looked pretty good up there against the gorgeous blue sky and with the lichens on the cliff rocks matching the colors of his flared tail. If I didn’t know better I’d say he had a streak of vanity running through him.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
As he lowered his tail he struck a proud, haughty pose that, despite the sex contradiction, immediately reminded me of that buxom sex symbol Mae West. Some of her (in)famous bawdy quotes, that I think are hilarious, came to mind as soon as I saw this image on my big screen.
I know, my mind goes to strange places but I try to be honest with my readers, even at the risk of revealing character flaws…
Ron
Beautiful bird, and that blue sky, wow!
My Facebook is offline so glad you post to my email too.
Looks like FB, IG, et al., are all down for a server issue. I’m having withdrawals from a couple of my favorite animal sites that post on IG regularly — and I can’t get into the shelter today to get my furbaby fix.
Yup, FB is has been offline for a lotta folks, including me. My blog stats are taking a hit because of it.
Thanks, Ron,
Great photos plus some good laughs and enjoyment of Mae West!
Mary
Glad you enjoyed it, Mary. Thanks.
One could say he’s vamping in Mae West fashion. Wait, but he’s a male? Now I’m getting confused. That’s what anthropomorphizing will do.
Regardless, nice photos and amusing post. Nice to know Mr. and Mrs. Rufous are still a thing. There I go again anthro…oh, never mind.
Lyle, I’m beginning to think Mr. and Mrs. Rufous might stick around as a couple all winter.
That would be FABULOUS!
Vanity TOTALLY justified.
What a beauty.
Thanks, EC.
Wow, great captures and he’s gorgeous—so he has every right to strike that pose! I gather his mate wasn’t as cooperative (possibly unhappy with his show-off style?) so no photos of her … or perhaps they’re coming tomorrow? A girl can dream, can’t she? 😉
Chris, I’ll probably be posting photos of his mate soon.
He’s definitely showing off for you with that puffed out chest! “Come up and photograph me sometime.” 😉
I agree that W.C. Fields and Mae West were the “Odd Couple” of their time. Still love to watch those old movies — thank goodness for TCM and several retro channels that are popping up.
Thanks, Marty. I like to watch those old movies too but only in short bursts.
Oh, my! That is certainly an unusual pose and your Mae West reference is spot on. Very, very nice shots indeed with lots of detail. Thanks for the chuckle.
Early morning chuckles are a good thing aren’t they Granny Pat.
Excellent photos and definitely showing off that red tail. That sky is about as blue as a sky can be. Mae West and W.C. Fields – two people that your younger followers will not know. Back in suburban Philly where I grew up I often drove past W.C.’s birthplace in Darby PA.
Thanks, Everett. They were both characters to the extreme.
He REALLY seemed to be strutin’ his stuff….. 🙂 Ah, Mae West – whata hoot!
I always thought Mae West and W.C. Fields were an incongruous pair. Reportedly they didn’t even like each other.