Do old hens really get ticked off when they get wet? Can't say I know that for a fact. But, this hawk—busy shaking out his still damp feathers from the rain the day before—appeared impatient and hungry. A rough morning for field mice near our back yard.
The color and composition are wonderful but the subject is what really makes this special. I admire good photos of birds, They're such a difficult animal to photograph, I never had any luck with them. You have a talent for this, obviously.
ReplyDeleteI have days like that. :-)
ReplyDeleteKen—it always feel good to hear that someone else Is happy with your offering. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou can tell that I quite enjoy watching these raptors. We are fortunate to live in a place where they find good hunting. Lucky for me a couple of them have have taken to hanging around close to the house. I shoot through our dirty windows, which let's me get closer than I could otherwise. I still struggle to photograph them in flight. Plus, I have no luck at at all photographing the smaller birds. The quail, which we are seeing more of than usual this year, have completely eluded me.
Monte—I hear you talking. It really worries me when I have weeks like that. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnita, something else to ponder. I once had an instructor who said that a wet doesn't fly at night. Could it also be true?
ReplyDeleteSteve—it makes sense to me. I think I will have to do some reading. Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteThat eye sees everything! Terrific photo. Quail?! Those are one of the birds I would most like to photograph, but we don't have any anywhere near us.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if you could do it with your back but I use a small portable blind sometimes. Not that I've been doing much bird photography....but for elusive ones if you know there's a certain spot they frequent I'd set the blind out and then go back a few days later to photograph from. You either have to go in early and be patient or go with another person who can leave (and fool the birds into thinking no one is there).
Roberta—The quail skitter along so fast and in such erratic patterns that I can't get a tight focus on one. It is a terrific defense mechanism for them. I hope we are going to see more of them in the future. Maybe with time I will figure out how to photograph them.
ReplyDeleteI have flirted with the idea of a blind off and on. And, you are right that my back is one of the main concerns. I had never heard the tip about two going in and fooling the bird with a decoy exiting. That sounds like a great idea. I warned The Husband that he might get drafted for decoy duty. Thanks for the tip.
Thanks for the kind words on the photo.
Very nice shot!
ReplyDeleteYou live at such a cool place. Hawks right outside, on the fence pole, what beats that? Nice work with the colour and texture, I very much like those smoky but warm brown tones of yours.
ReplyDeleteOtto—Thanks for your comment. I am delighted that you visited and hope you will drop in again. I look forward to seeing your work.
ReplyDeleteOve—I so enjoy this time of year when the hawks use this area as a hunting ground. We are fortunate to have some "wild" space next to us. The raptors love soaring above all the grasses scanning for mice, voles, moles, etc. Yes, I appreciate my good fortune.
ReplyDeleteI am glad those tones "speak" to you, Ove. They have lately become my tones of choice. Not sure what this says about me; but, they feel right to me at the moment.
Anita, I love this shot. You have a marvelous eye for graphic design - the treatment here is simply stunning!
ReplyDeleteThanks,
John
John—Thank you for the lovely compliment. How generous of you. So far, this is one of my favorite of my hawk photographs and I am delighted that the treatment connects with you.
ReplyDelete