Toward the end of my hike Sunday this lovely immature Red-tailed Hawk flew past me and settled on a tree limb several yards ahead of me and then watched as I walked under her (I'm saying her because this was a big bird despite being obviously only about 8 or 9 months old, and female Red-tails are bigger than the males) when I went to where I could catch her from the front with the sun behind me. She didn't seem to be at all afraid or nervous, but she was very curious, stretching her head from side to side, stretching it up, cocking her head to the left and to the right, looking at me from her left eye and then from her right. She was still there on that limb when I finally decided I'd got enough shots of her and went on my merry way. This view is the best of the shots I took.And of course, all I could think of while editing and processing this shot was the marvelous song from Mel Brooks' musical version of The Producers - "That Face", sung by Matthew Broderick. So here it is.
Photo © 2011 by A. Roy Hilbinger
Nice, Roy!!! You were close. I love that intense look in her eye and her defined supra-orbital ridge...gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous photo, my friend!
ReplyDeleteWhat a shot! Roy, this is awesome! We had a red tailed hawk hang around our birdfeeder a few winters ago. I actually got photos of it catching a mourning dove. I should try to find those photos. They aren't any kind of quality shots like this though.
ReplyDeleteHope this ends up in a future calendar!
Speaking of calendars. I'm enjoying the nuthatches for february this month! :)
They always look so cranky. Sort of my maternal disapproving look. You're lucky to be able to zoom in. Ours are usually high in the sky. I think winter has it's advantages, birds that perhaps would normally be reluctant to roost close to the ground come in for food. Especially considering Betsy's comment.
ReplyDeletecool blog!
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What a majestic creature. Beautiful shot!
ReplyDelete