Some hawk photos for the weekend

[Maestro]

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Maestro/67

Sneak preview



Enjoy!

[Maestro]

1. Kick for the afternoon crowd

:kick:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear Maestro!

Holy god, those are amazing pics!

I am just literally blown away by them, esp. the one of the hawk in flight!

I stole it.....

And the pic of the hawk looking down at something?

I sure as heck wouldn't want to be whatever he's looking at! :scared:

Your pictures just keep on getting better and better!

Keep 'em coming...

:applause: :applause:

[Maestro]

8. Thanks Peggy

I'm trying. I just got back in from shooting some killdeer at close range. They were, uh, doing the spring ritual thing of propagating the species. I didn't mean to intrude on them but I like getting behavior shots. They didn't seem to mind. :)

[wildhorses]

3. i love hawks

i wish i was one, sometimes

these are all very nice:loveya:

and yeah...i stole a couple :blush: (peg started it):)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Oh, I see!

So now it's all my fault??? :rofl:

Whatever happened to personal responsibility?

Just kidding, sweetie! :loveya:

[wildhorses]

7. responsible?? moi?? NEVER!!

:rofl:


:pals:

[Maestro]

30. Cool, but if you make any money off of them, please send

a check to..... :)

[Little Wing]

5. which lens are you using? it's very clear

[Maestro]

25. I'm using

a Canon F4.5L 100mm-400mm zoom telephoto. The sharpness is also achieved in post processing with Photoshop CS2. Thanks for looking. :hi:

[seemunkee]

6. Very Nice, thatnks for sharing

I always stop and watch when I see a raptor in the sky.

[Maestro]

26. They are very regal and handsome.

That is one reason I like taking their pictures. I just wish I had a better variety in my area.

[YankeyMCC]

9. Excellent

Particularly the one in flight.

I'm one of those that will see the beauty in pretty much any beast in the wild great and small but there is something special to predators, particularly predators in flight. I guess it connects with our own inner predator ;)

Thanks!

[Roon]

10. Cool pictures!

I used to see a lot of hawks in my truck driving days. Do you know anything about hawks? What is that little bird that harasses them in flight?

[Maestro]

27. Probably crows or ravens.

For some reason crows just do not like hawks. :shrug: Thanks for looking.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

11. It's magnificent, but...

...STAY AWAY FROM OUR BACKYARD BIRDS!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maestro]

28. Red Tailed Hawks rarely take backyard birds.

They like their rodents, reptiles and rabbits. The Cooper's Hawk and Red Shouldered Hawk are the ones that take the backyard birds. Thanks for the looking. :hi:

[Kajsa]

12. Those are beautiful shots, Maestro.

Like Peggy, I really like the hawk in flight one
and where he is watching something intently.

No doubt, he's eyed his next meal.

They are such beautiful birds.

Thanks for sharing these.

:hi:

[Maestro]

38. Any time Kajsa

I enjoy taking the pics and sharing them. The beauty of wildlife is incredible.

[cwydro]

13. a redwing blackbird for you

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

14. I love those little guys

We have lots at our feeder. Thanks for posting!

[cwydro]

17. That one

actually will eat out of my hand. I love him.
I call him Chip, because he sits outside saying "CHIP!" until I bring the food out.:hi:

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

18. That's just amazing!

Ours know I'm the "bird lady," but won't get any closer than yelling to their friends that food is here and flying onto the retaining wall when I'm in the backyard. You're lucky!

[cwydro]

19. Well

I have an advantage because I live way high up where the birds fly and set their food out about arm level. I just kept trying it and one day he just came over and took a nibble. It totally made my day. Right now, I'm a little dismayed, because all these grackles or starlings or some sort of blackbird (bigger than the redwings) are kinda trying to take over. Gotta figure out what to do. My redwings are getting moved out. The pigeons come too, but they get along just fine with the redwings.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

20. We have grackle problems, too

They always compete against our redwings, mourning doves, sparrows, house finches and brown-headed cowbirds. They don't seem to show up in droves until the summer, though.

Love your heron picture!

[cwydro]

21. Thanks...

i am trying to post my pic of a bald eagle, but having difficulty for some reason.

[Shakespeare]

22. I kinda love them for their freaky call, though, don't you?

It reminds me of the sound electrical wires make. We had tons of them in Dallas, but I never see them (or hear them) here in SoCal.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

23. I do have a soft spot for grackles - I love animals in general

The only thing I don't like is when they push the smaller birds out of the way at the feeder. But that's nature, isn't it? I'm near Dallas, BTW (Irving). Lucky you to live in CA!

[Maestro]

35. Here's a grackle for an Irvingnite

[Maestro]

29. Nice capture.

I've only been able to get the female version. :)

[cwydro]

31. I remember you said you liked

the redwings, so I went out and talked sweet to that one. Here he is again.

[Maestro]

32. Thanks again.

I really like the way the red stands out against the black. To this day, I just haven't been able to capture one on film.

[cwydro]

33. Dupe

Dupe. damn computer is loading slow.

[cwydro]

34. It's kinda blurry

gonna keep trying to get the PERFECT one. He is a very unafraid little fella. I adore him.

I remember you liked herons too. Your hawk pics are so awesome, I just wanted to return the favor.

I can never get the hawks.

[cwydro]

15. and a heron or two

[cwydro]

16. here is the other...

[Maestro]

46. Hey I just found out that egrets are actually herons.

I never knew that. Go figure. They are herons just like the bitterns as well. I wonder why they have the different name. :shrug:

[Maestro]

36. A heron? I think that is an egret, but I am not 100%

on identification. Anyhow, I have just two half-way decent shots of this avian.



I usually blow out the whites. This one is okay too.



Check out the big black feet on the rocks.

[cwydro]

24. Baldie

[Maestro]

37. Cool shot.

I have a few of a baldie, but I took the shots on a very cold, dark, rainy day.

[cwydro]

39. Oh those are GREAT!

I could not get closer to this guy and there was a nest there too..(i'll post that tomorrow). He was VERY protective of it and was flying around pissed off as all hell.

Those are beautiful pics. Just fantastic. I love baldies; we have ospreys all over the place here, but don't see too many of these guys.

[cwydro]

40. Here he is

[Maestro]

42. Nice shot of him in flight.

I have a few more of the in flight shots









I'd like to go back to get some better shots of this baldie, but he's about four hours away from me down in the Texas Hill Country.

[cwydro]

47. Wow

fanTAStic! Keep 'em coming!:thumbsup:

[Maestro]

45. I'd love to get a good pic of an osprey.

I only have one pic and it was from the same day I got the baldies.






They aren't very good. They were taken from a boat at a very long distance.

[EFerrari]

41. kick. Beautiful. It's that time of year.

[Maestro]

43. Thatnks sfexpat2000

I wish I could find two hawks in their courting ritual. It is quite a show with the acrobatic flying.

[EFerrari]

44. At Mom's place at this time, there are red winged black birds that sit

in the tall, yellow flowering grass like so many black and red flowers themselves. :)