Monday, September 25, 2017

Hawk - Posting and Posing

We were visited by a hawk the other day.  So far as I can tell it was a Red-Tailed Hawk, but it could have also been a Cooper's Hawk as they are very similar.  The bird landed and perched on our neighbor's fence for several minutes.

Then, probably bored, it flew down to the ground where it sat in the grass and looked up at an immature tree, perhaps trying to determine if the tree could handle its weight.

Finally, it flew up into the tree at which time another hawk joined it and the two of them flitted about in the branches until his companion decided he/she would have better opportunities for love or food elsewhere.

At that point, our hawk flew to the top of the tree, where it sat in avian majesty.

But that lasted only so long.  It glided down to perch on a post, look back at me (I was taking photos through a glass slider) and posed one last time before it flew off to parts unknown.





20 comments:

Small City Scenes said...

How very cool to have the Hawk hang around for so long.
Thanks for commenting on my blog. I just have a regular camera and my phone-which takes excellent pictures. I just couldn't handle having a whole bunch of stuff to carry around. Funny story---well to me anyway. I have never carried a purse---maybe high school---but decided maybe I should. I leave it everywhere. In the store--at home--n the car--so I think I was just not programmed to carry a purse or wallet. So you see I would be all fumbles carrying bunches of camera stuff and for your information even a tripod--pfttt picture a raspberry
MB

Bergson said...

you are a great photographic hunter

Linda said...

How gorgeous, Lowell! And it looks as if he was posing for your photo shoot. :)

William Kendall said...

Beautiful!

Bill said...

What a wonderful hawk story. I guess the hawk appreciated all your photography skills and took advantage of them. :) Now he's seen by lots of people around the world. What a smart bird, a 21st century kind of bird. :)

Michelle said...

Nice! What a handsome bird!

Andy said...

Your visitor is awesome.

RedPat said...

Great shots, Lowell! I wonder if it isn't a Red-shouldered Hawk. The bands on the tail and marks on wings make me wonder. Hopefully some expert birder will read your post!

Tanya Breese said...

Isn't he beautiful!

Petrea Burchard said...

We have hawks in our neighborhood. I love their plaintive cries.

Kay said...

Wonderful shots! We have lots of hawks around here but none that have come in that close to us. I'm envious!
As to your experiences with Google+ you're out of my range of knowing what's going on. Google+ has tried to insert itself into my life a number of times and I have frankly ignored it as it seems to assume I have any idea of what it is or why I should care. Sorry!

Taken For Granted said...

How fine you could get this hawk to pose so nicely for you. Excellent portraits.

stardust said...

Dear Lowell - Looks like the Hawk's calculation was right and the slender tree could hold his weight. I like the last “looking-back beauty” photo.

Yoko

Revrunner said...

Wow! What a cooperative raptor. Did you catch his best side? :-)

Marleen said...

It really seems to pose for you!

Sharon said...

What a beautiful bird and you captured him so well. I think he wanted his 3 minutes of fame and he knew you were a blogger! Maybe he liked your attention so much he'll come back one day soon.

PerthDailyPhoto said...

They are rather impressive creatures! Well captured here Lowell.. enjoyed the commentary also 😀😀

Lois said...

You got some wonderful photos of the hawk Lowell. The light in your third shot is absolutely gorgeous! It actually seems to be posing for you in that last one.

Kate said...

All 4 photos are wonderful but the first one shows the majesty of the bird!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

nice yard birds! It's like he landed to have his portrait taken.

"Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again." — Henri Cartier-Bresson