Posts in Category: hawk
Maine! Regal Red
Red-tailed Hawk: York County Maine, USA, September 2024 — This is the last of the perches from that day when I saw this Red-tailed Hawk in three different trees…this time high in a very tall tree at the edge of the marsh. A group of noisy crows drove it around the corner of the forest there and up into this tree, and it waited for me as I walked up the path. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed, cropped, and up-scaled in Photomator.
Maine! caught tail up
Red-tailed Hawk: York County Maine, USA, September 2024 — The Red-tailed Hawk that hunts the edge of the marsh along the coastal road is very comfortable with passing traffic and, since there is a popular dog walking/jogging trail just there, also with people on foot. Comfortable enough to do some tail preening even though it clearly knew I was watching it. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Red-tail on the prowl
Red-tailed Hawk: York County, Maine, USA, September 2024 — Are you getting tired of this adult Red-tailed Hawk that hunts the marsh along one of my frequent trike ride/walks? I have seen it there at least a few times a week since mid-August, and, very likely, it is the same bird that frequented the area in spring. For a while there were at least 2, the adult and one or more immatures. Yesterday I saw this adult three times. Once from the road and once on each side of the road on a trail I like to walk, and was able to get photos each time. I like this one with the patchy clouds against the sky behind. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Red over head
Red-tailed Hawk: York County, Maine, USA, September 2024 — I watched this Red-tailed Hawk fly in to the far edge of the marsh, pursued by crows, as I walked out the trail and kept my eye out for it on the way back. Sure enough it came soaring down the berm from behind me, and circled twice right over me. I think it was actually using the thermal from the colder waters of the creek just there to gain a bit of height, but as it circled I was able to get a few relatively close shots of the hawk overhead with an interesting sky behind. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my action and flight modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Red-tail
Red-tailed Hawk: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — An immature Red-tailed Hawk has been using this hunting perch along the edge of the marsh a half mile from the river mouth off and on all spring and summer, but this is an adult on the same perch. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 1200mm equivalent (2x Clear Image Zoom). Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Colorado! Swainson’s (for the moment)
Swainson’s Hawk: Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Commerce City, Colorado, USA, July 2024 — This was taken out the window of an idling car so not as sharp as might be, but still, such a majestic hawk. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird and wildlife modifications. Bird subject detection. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Her Majesty in a pine
Red-tailed Hawk: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — Eventually the Red-tailed Hawk flew even closer to the trail and settled in a pine. Again, angles were difficult to find, but there she was, as close as I might like. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Her Majesty flys
Red-tailed Hawk: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — I spent a long time waiting for Her Majesty to leave her perch when I encountered her along one of my favorite birding trails across the marshes. It took her a long time to decide that the hunting might be better from another perch. I had the camera set for flight and I would hold it on her on the perch, waiting, watching the strong off-shore wind buffet her, for as long as I could hold it up…then I would put it down to give my arms a rest…then back up and waiting some more. Finally it happened, and I caught it 🙂 Again, harsher light than I would have preferred, but otherwise a very cooperative bird. OM-System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and Apple Photos.
Maine! Her Majesty
Red-tailed Hawk: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — When I started out on one of my birding trails a Red-tailed Hawk came flying across the marsh right toward me at eye-level and then swooped over and climbed in spirals higher and higher and way inland. All I managed were a few “going way” shots. Ah well. But then, on the way back to car, almost back, I caught sight of big bird shape right over the highway in a tree…sure enough it was the hawk. I watched it hunt from several different perches along the edge of the marsh until it moved on back the way it had originally come from. The light, high noon, was about as harsh and hard as it gets in Southern Maine this time of year…but still, such a majestic bird. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. -0.3 to hold the highlights. Processed in Photomator.
Florida! Another Osprey
Osprey: Biolab Road, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — I was pretty happy with the Osprey (and the photos) at the beginning of Biolab road, but that does not mean I did not stop for this one, posed nicely on a snag at the edge of the Indian River Lagoon (Mosquito lagoon), not 30 feet from my rental car window. 🙂 OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.