Lunch with a Red Tail Hawk

Art Photographers · Jan 11, 2011

These are 3 of my favorites. There are so many more, I spent well over an hour with this guy. I took notice when a tug of war was happening between him and another Red Tail. I rushed out too quickly and scared one off while moving in. But this brave one allowed me to approach very close and stay with him for the duration of the meal. About 10 yards away at some points.
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manaheim · Jan 11, 2011

mmm... wow.

I'm not much of a nature shooter, but I've chased around a leucistic red tail that lives nearby my work place enough times to know that getting shots like this is NOT easy, and these look amazing compared to anything I've ever taken and quite nice compared to some I've seen taken by people with way more skills than me.

Beyond that, I can't say much, but... wow.

Undo · Jan 11, 2011

Those are some of the best hawk pictures that I have seen for a long time. Great work!

Frequency · Jan 12, 2011

great images

Regards

JDRoth · Jan 12, 2011

I absolutely loved your pictures. You really captured their personality and beauty well!

I love Red Tails. Their personalities are so variable! I live right next to the second biggest cemetery in the country and its fantastic for birding. If I had to guess I would say that they have 6+ resident red tails. I don't even bother trying to get close to any of them, except for one. I call him my red tail. He and I have a great relationship together. He will let me stand right under him, to the point where I have gotten so close that if I wanted to I could have jumped up and grabbed his tail feathers. I am a pretty good birder so I am pretty sure I can tell when a bird is in distress, he isn't. He knows I am there and that I wont bug him. If I am too loud (ie. step on the wrong branch, or trip and yell damn it) or someone tries and talk to me thats walking by he will squawk at me. But I never flush him. I have spent hours at a time with this guy. He has even crapped on my favorite hoody. He and I have known each other for about a year and a half now.

So I told my dad about this guy and he didn't believe me, so I brought him to see it. I showed him how to be around him and then when it was his turn to approach, my dad did it perfectly and flushed him from about 100-150ft away.

For those of you wondering I have never given him food, and never will.

I haven't gone to see him since I got my new camera so I really only have one good picture of him, which I took a while back with my dads crummy point and shoot. I have posted it here before, but enjoy again.

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101_1266 by jdroth42, on Flickr[/IMG]

MSnowy · Jan 12, 2011

nice set

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/photography-beginners-forum-photo-gallery/226385-hawk.html

Art Photographers · Jan 12, 2011

Great story JD Roth. I definately feel with the right body language one can engage wildlife closely. I hope you go see him again and bring us lots more images. I enjoyed my time with this hawk. And the fact is I went to this park a year ago and found a Red Tail sitting on a fence that didnt run either. I got as close as my 400 allowed and notice he may have been injured. So I called for some help. I cannot say the out come of that except that I have been rewarded for doing the right thing. There were 3 Hawks in my area of the park and this one reminded me of that day. I even thanked him when he left. I will post a few more. Thank you.