20D: THE BETTER MOUSETRAP !!!

Well sports fans, finally a beautiful Saturday here in Tennessee
without the 90-degree temperatures and the 90% humidity we've been
having. I went to my usual haunt this morning and it was a pretty slow
day animal-wise. I did manage to capture a few decent ones, however,
including this first shot of a hawk flying with his little buddy in
tow.

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239224

The little bird flies right along with the hawk, sometimes landing on
his back for a free ride.
It's quite a scene. I didn't notice what the hawk had in his claw
until I got home.
Yum .... lunch!

Here's a few others I took today:

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239224

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239225

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239227

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239229

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239230

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239231

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239232

Annika1980 wrote:
Well sports fans, finally a beautiful Saturday here in Tennessee
without the 90-degree temperatures and the 90% humidity we've been
having. I went to my usual haunt this morning and it was a pretty slow
day animal-wise. I did manage to capture a few decent ones, however,
including this first shot of a hawk flying with his little buddy in
tow.
http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239224

Baby hawk?

The little bird flies right along with the hawk, sometimes landing on
his back for a free ride.
It's quite a scene. I didn't notice what the hawk had in his claw
until I got home.
Yum .... lunch!

Here's a few others I took today:

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239224

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239225

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239227

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239229

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239230

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239231

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239232

I like that last one. Birds do have some charisma, personality and
character.

"Paul Furman" wrote in message
et...
Annika1980 wrote:
Well sports fans, finally a beautiful Saturday here in Tennessee
without the 90-degree temperatures and the 90% humidity we've been
having. I went to my usual haunt this morning and it was a pretty
slow
day animal-wise. I did manage to capture a few decent ones,
however,
including this first shot of a hawk flying with his little buddy in
tow.
http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239224

Baby hawk?

We have a Hawk around here, Loves to hang by the Black Course. But he
paid our house a visit one day. From 25-30 feet away, the sucker was
huge. I had never seen one up close before, I have respect for these
guys now.

Cheers

Martin Riddle wrote:
We have a Hawk around here, Loves to hang by the Black Course. But he
paid our house a visit one day. From 25-30 feet away, the sucker was
huge. I had never seen one up close before, I have respect for these
guys now.


You live near Bethpage?

To give you an idea of the bird's size, here's one on a 4"x4" post:

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61262554

Hawks look fatter in the wintertime when they puff out their feathers.
Kind of like having a built-in windbreaker jacket.

Annika1980 wrote:
Martin Riddle wrote:
We have a Hawk around here, Loves to hang by the Black Course. But he
paid our house a visit one day. From 25-30 feet away, the sucker was
huge. I had never seen one up close before, I have respect for these
guys now.


You live near Bethpage?

To give you an idea of the bird's size, here's one on a 4"x4" post:

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61262554

Hawks look fatter in the wintertime when they puff out their feathers.
Kind of like having a built-in windbreaker jacket.

Great pics!! My grandfather was always accompanied by a hawk on
fishing and hunting trips. The hawk was there on his own freewill,
living in the wild as he should. He just took a liking to my
grandfather. It was an amaziang relationship. He would wear these
long heavy duty leather gloves that covered half his arm. He would
hold up a fish or a piece of meat and the hawk would land on his arm.
The wing span was awesome, and the way he could zero in on a tiny mouse
from miles away was amazing to say the least. I was only a child when
this all took place. I had no interest in photography back then. Too
bad. I know better now.

"Annika1980" wrote in news:1149367276.844343.309560
@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Well sports fans, finally a beautiful Saturday here in Tennessee
without the 90-degree temperatures and the 90% humidity we've been
having. I went to my usual haunt this morning and it was a pretty slow
day animal-wise. I did manage to capture a few decent ones, however,
including this first shot of a hawk flying with his little buddy in
tow.

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61239224

The little bird flies right along with the hawk, sometimes landing on
his back for a free ride.
It's quite a scene. I didn't notice what the hawk had in his claw
until I got home.
Yum .... lunch!


Ummm, hard to tell from the PBase version, but blow up that
'mouse' a bit and have a closer look. I'm not so sure it's a mouse...

...and that would explain the 'buddy' on top, who is undoubtedly
telling the Red-Shouldered Hawk to get the hell out of Dodge. This is a
fairly common sight, when the faster and more manueverable birds harass
the predators to try and protect their young. Even if it is a mouse, it
was caught a bit too close to 'home' for comfort ;-)

If you check out the birder groups in your area, you might find
they can impart a lot of useful info regarding the traits and behaviors
of your subjects, and (while you're doing pretty damn good as it is) it
may give you an edge on getting in closer, or capturing some interesting
action.


- Al.

--
To reply, insert dash in address to match domain below
Online photo gallery at www.wading-in.net

Al Denelsbeck wrote:

Ummm, hard to tell from the PBase version, but blow up that
'mouse' a bit and have a closer look. I'm not so sure it's a mouse...

That was just a best guess. Here's a blown-up view.
http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61293142

If you check out the birder groups in your area, you might find
they can impart a lot of useful info regarding the traits and behaviors
of your subjects, and (while you're doing pretty damn good as it is) it
may give you an edge on getting in closer, or capturing some interesting
action.

I've befriended many of the local bird experts and have attended one of
their meetings.
As much as I hate birds (thanks to that damn Hitchcock movie), I find
them challenging to photograph. Why just the other day I captured the
rare red-headed double-breasted matress thrasher!

And as I learn more about these birds I find myself recognizing their
calls.
I can now go out into the woods and just stand and listen, and tell
where the hawks, owls, and the red-headed woodpeckers are. The baby
owls I photographed this week made a kind of whistle sound.

"Annika1980" wrote in message
oups.com...

Martin Riddle wrote:
We have a Hawk around here, Loves to hang by the Black Course. But
he
paid our house a visit one day. From 25-30 feet away, the sucker was
huge. I had never seen one up close before, I have respect for these
guys now.


You live near Bethpage?

Yes I do. I believe he hangs around the black 9th hole.

To give you an idea of the bird's size, here's one on a 4"x4" post:

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/61262554

Hawks look fatter in the wintertime when they puff out their feathers.
Kind of like having a built-in windbreaker jacket.

The hawk we have here, looks simliar to your earlier pictures, mostly
off white and much bigger than this guy. I would say a good 1 1/2' tall
and a good 6"-8" wide chest.

Cheers

Better mousetrap........ What do you do, bash them over the head with it?

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Retired Shop Rat: 14,647 days in a GM plant.
Now I can do what I enjoy: Large Format Photography

Web Site: www.destarr.com
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David Starr wrote:
Better mousetrap........ What do you do, bash them over the head with it?


No, I save that for you guys.