Egret, Hawk, Falcon, Duck (and his confused relative).

PrescottPhotog

Hi Everyone,

I went to the lakes today both early morning and late afternoon figuring since it was the weekend the hikers and kayakers would keep
the birds moving. I thought that the afternoon was going to be a bust until this big old hawk showed up soaring very high.
Then immediately after the hawk left, a Peregrine Falcon showed up even higher. Even using my 500mm I was really reaching for both.
Neither stayed around long but I got a couple shots. I've only seen a Falcon once before but it was to high to shoot.
This egret is giving me fits. He is the only one around and has been here for months but will not let me get within 1/4 mile of him.
Luckily (for me) a guy was looking for his lost dog and was yelling for it and spooked the egret. This is the closest I've gotten.. no
matter what, where or how I hide.. he knows where I am and won't venture anywhere close.

The funny shot is the flock of Ibis. They were VERY high, going somewhere distant when I noticed something odd. I shot the picture and
when I got home I saw what I couldn't see in the field.. one confused duck flying in formation with the Ibis.

Hope you enjoy.

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dbaker1221

great series Chris that first Duck is outstanding:ivar

Maestro

Your hawk looks like a juvenile red tailed hawk with light markings. Your peregrine captures, even though you were far turned out nicely. Heck, any time you can take a half-way decent pic of a peregrine you should be happy. You far surpassed the "half-way decent" goal.

PrescottPhotog

dbaker1221 wrote:

great series Chris that first Duck is outstanding:ivar

Hi Dave, Thanks for the compliment on the shots. When the hawk came toward me the ducks went crazy and this guy came awful close to me in his escape.

PrescottPhotog

Maestro wrote:

Your hawk looks like a juvenile red tailed hawk with light markings. Your peregrine captures, even though you were far turned out nicely. Heck, any time you can take a half-way decent pic of a peregrine you should be happy. You far surpassed the "half-way decent" goal.

Hi Stephen, I thought the hawk was a Redtail, especially because of his huge size, but I never got a look at the top of him to see the rest of his colors.

The Peregrine doesn't stay around long. They are nesting (or hanging out) in the huge boulders on the far side of the lake. He comes out every once in a while, usually very late in the afternoon, flying so high it is hard to make him out.. then he's gone .

Below is the only other shot I got of him yesterday and this is a full crop.

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Shasoc

Congrats. They are all great captures with nice color and detail.

Maestro

PrescottPhotog wrote:

Hi Stephen, I thought the hawk was a Redtail, especially because of his huge size, but I never got a look at the top of him to see the rest of his colors.

The Peregrine doesn't stay around long. They are nesting (or hanging out) in the huge boulders on the far side of the lake. He comes out every once in a while, usually very late in the afternoon, flying so high it is hard to make him out.. then he's gone .

Below is the only other shot I got of him yesterday and this is a full crop.

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Wow, he must have been quite a distance from you soaring. Still though, a pass with USM and then perhaps some noise clean-up and you have a very serviceable picture of a rare bird. Congrats again.