The weather could have better when I got to Cape May yesterday. By the time I got out onto the boardwalk behind the Hawk Watch at Lighthouse State Park, at 4PM, it was pretty dark. There were a fair number of birds, mostly Yellow-rumped Warblers, but they were skitterish…never staying in one place for more than a few seconds. Challenging photographic conditions and I am still learning the new camera.

And then, of course, being Cape May, this Cooper’s Hawk flew up into the tree right above my head, and sat there while I took way too many shots. It even let me sidle along the boardwalk for a clearer shot through the branches. Very nice! It was dark. The bird was against the grey sky. Not the best conditions, but it does not matter how bad the light or the angle, when a Coop lands that close and sits, you take pictures!

I got to try all the various focal lengths available, from 2400mm (2x digital tel-converter function, as above) back down to the 1200mm optical zoom.

Canon SX50HS. Program with auto iContrast and Shadow Fill. 2400mm, 1200mm, 1800mm, and 2400mm. f6.5 @ 1/160th – 1/400th @ ISO 125-400. Processed in Lightroom for intensity, clarity, and sharpness. All shots required some purple fringe removal.