With multiple layers of protection from the cold, I took the camera to a local forest preserve Saturday. I was hoping to catch a hawk.
.
I won't bore you with the details. It was basically a long time waiting, and many missed opportunities. A tiny bird in the thicket chirped as if to say, "take a picture of me, instead." [click on photos to enlarge] I've no idea what it is.
.
So, I went home with some ideas of what I would do differently next time, and would you believe my elusive hawk followed me?!! It swooped down across my windshield as I backed into my driveway, then landed in a tree two houses up. I couldn't shoot the angle I wanted, but you get what you can take, right?
.
We ran our Saturday errands, and as the sun was beginning to set, we pulled into a strip mall to buy a fun dinner for the kids, and there it was again! This time, our Redtailed Hawk was kind enough to sit and pose for me. Good bird!
.
Don't worry, I'll keep trying until I capture a photograph of this bird in flight.
Posts
13 comments:
Addendum: The little guy in the thicket appears to be a White-throated Sparrow. I have another picture (not posted) where you can see a white chin, striped head and yellow brow marks.
Wow, what a gorgeous bird! If they didn't kill squirrels and mice, my heart would warm up to them more. :)
It's beautiful, in flight or not. And your story is very amusing!
Could it be that this wasn't the same bird of prey? Is it more likely that Bolingbrook has hawks-a-plenty? Hmmm... I'm glad we keep our cat inside.
My brother-in-law joked that I needed a hawking glove to lure the bird for a picture, but now I think that the squirrel feeder (sorry Lee) might be a more potent lure.
[whispering]
Lee doesn't like squirrels.
What a treat that the hawk obliged with a personal photo session! My best guess is a red-shouldered hawk. I used to see them around our old place, too, before I kept the camera always fairly handy.
I see you certainly did get a lot of comments on your 'shoot for the moon' post.
I'm no photographer but that's a nice shot.
It was so weird how it didn't let me get any good shots in a natural habitat, but when it got to concrete and steel, it wanted to be a supermodel! When I got back home, Lin, I went online to identify the big guy. It's actually a Red-tailed Hawk. My "special" bird, it turns out, is very, very common... not just here, but it has a broad range, as well. A bird watching friend confirmed it later.
It was GREAT to see all those comments from (mostly) new visitors! But it looks like nobody got my joke about overexposure. Isn't "shooting the moon" a common idiom?
Thanks, ESI. A friend gave me his old digital camera in November, and I carry it with me EVERYWHERE I go. Lots, and lots of pictures get deleted, but then I'll find something I like... such as Mr. Hawk here.
By the way Lin, I don't know anything really, about hawks, so I'll look online for information on the red-shouldered fellas. I could be wrong with my first hunch.
That's a beautiful image from a beautiful bird.
What a neat story and a great picture also!
What a neat story and a great picture also!
Lovely bird and wonderful capture. I missed my chance at an interesting shot the other day. I should know better than to not have my camera beside me at all times. I blogged about it anyway if you care to read. :)
Daniel, what a nice compliment from someone with such a trained eye such as yourself... Thank-you.
Dot, how gracious of you to visit so soon after my dandelion rant. I was still stomping "when the doorbell rang." ;-)
I stood and waited for a bit after the hiccup (double-comment). It would have been so perfect to have one more. The Lord knows I love ellipses (dot, dot, dot). I know; it's corny, but I didn't sleep much last night.
Hello Hilary! I hope you're keeping warm up there. I know what you mean about the missed photo opportunity. Thanks for the invitation, I will certainly take you up on it!
Post a Comment