Close encounter and a weeks worth!

Netgarden

Funny, I was thinking how boring this week was, my neck really bothering me so not doing much, but lo and behold, a couple walks in the past two days!

First yesterday, a coyote face to face through the brush in an open space area near me...I was a little intimidated the way he licked his chops a few times and stared from about 15ft., a hawk story below this too...



a little scary at that point at 15 ft....



and the night before, a Coopers hawk trying to get in to a bird avary...
he gave up and flew to a tree near me. Has been there every night...
around 7:15 pm...don't know why the juvenile isn't hunting in the ponds!




and one more favorite of the week at the ponds...

thnx for looking!

Harv

It looks like you had a couple of really productive days. You've proven that it pays to carry your camera with you. Great catches. Thanks for sharing.

Dee

Those are great!
I love all of them, but your coyote closeups are amazing! looks like coyote is smiling at you in one of them. You had a great week!

Shasoc

Great captures, with beautiful detail and clarity.

ShepsMom

Very, very nice! Love the 1st coyote shot and very last shot, excellent focus on the eyes!!

Netgarden

thanx everyone, I think we both were surprised, and I was not on the trail !so I have to admit nervous. My instincts told me not to run, and I figured, well, if he was going to attack me I might as well get some good shots,
I cropped all of them a bit. But he was so close. Unusual to see him where he was. Usually he;s in a flood ditch where the ducks are about a half mile.

I walk there about 3 times a week, 6 blocks from my house. Not rural at all, and I was after my Kite friend who was up there in the sky at the time. I left though....;~)

dbaker1221

awesome captures...every one of them

kdog

Stunning series here, Linda. What an incredible stroke of luck to get so close to these gorgeous animals. I'd kill to get that close to a coyote. Normally they're very elusive as you know. Although, once in a while you hear of one attacking a jogger. There was a woman killed by one in the Santa Cruz mountain several years ago. Scary.

I'm going with a sharp shinned hawk there. They're identical to a coopers, only smaller and more likely to frequent an urban backyard. Gorgeous bird, whatever it is.

Congrats on the beautiful captures.
-joel

Maestro

Great captures. I thnk you might have yourself a juvenile sharp-shinned hawk too. It's hard to tell because basically the only difference between juveniles is the brown streaking on the chest. Since the streaking looks broad and not too thin, it's probably a sharp-shinned hawk. The juvenile black crowned night heron is very good.

Osprey Whisperer

Looks like you had quite the experiences with the "wild ones". Nice job. Too bad you had such difficult shooting conditions with all that grass and limbs blocking a clean view of your subjects.

Dante

Great shots! It's nice to have your camera with you when the right occasion arises

Netgarden

thnx all. yes, I wondered if it was a Sharp Shinned Hawk or Coopers. The birder at the Sea and Sage audabon group said it was a Coopers. But you are right, its hard to tell when they are juveniles. I'm really curious myself. Even a juvenile red tail looks similar.

Yes, I was hoping for more clear shots, but in these cases with the sun setting almost in front of me and no room to move, [hawk] I had to do what I could. Difficult indeed, and I kind of like the bokeh derived of it. It might have been boring in the usual state. I think it actually gives it a more 3 dimensional aspect. Same thing for the coyote, the grass is tall this time of year, and there was no time to risk moving, which the grass was sort of similar in the 3 dimensional effect. It was very real, thats for sure. :cry Moments like these aren't planned on a tripod, lol.

thanks again, I've had a fun month thanks to the Irvine SJ ponds and the local walk park.

Travis

Beautiful images. It is hard to believe what you can find right outside your door.