Hawk

PrescottPhotog · September 19, 2007

Hi Everyone,

Just a couple shots of a hawk I captured a couple days ago.

These are early morning shots and the sun was already brutal. We went from huge white puffy storm clouds for the last month during the monsoon to blue sky so brilliant it is hard to photograph.

Hope you enjoy. Comments welcome.

#1

#2

#3

Ric Grupe · September 19, 2007

All are very well captured.

#3 does it for me.:D

ChadinStPete · September 20, 2007

great love the 3rd one

Thusie · September 20, 2007

Very nice series!!!

dbaker1221 · September 20, 2007

good captures

Maestro · September 20, 2007

Looks like you captured yourself a few BIFs of a red-shouldered hawk, but I'm not positive. Number 3 is the best of the group with the best DOF and sharpness. Nice sky in the BG.

WildWally · September 20, 2007

Very nice shots !!!!!!:D

raptorcaptor · September 21, 2007

Excellent bifs!

Like the first one best!

jwear · September 21, 2007

chris nice work if you look this up I think you will find it s a Harrier

kdog · September 21, 2007

jwear wrote:

chris nice work if you look this up I think you will find it s a Harrier

I concur. Northern Harrier. And particularly fine captures at that.

Cheers,
-joel

Maestro · September 21, 2007

kdog wrote:

I concur. Northern Harrier. And particularly fine captures at that.

Cheers,
-joel

Damn, wrong again. I needed to see the top of the tail for the harrier ID.

wink Now that I look at it, it does have the slender profile of a harrier.

Shasoc · September 21, 2007

Great BIF captures.

PrescottPhotog · September 22, 2007

Thanks everyone for all the great comments.

As you can see from most of my photos there isn't much growth around the lakes in Arizona, just blue sky and lots of shoulder high grass. These guys just cruise all day long right over top of the grass looking for critters. Then they go out over the water to scatter all the ducks (which they never catch) then back to shore to start over again cruising the brush.

kdog · September 22, 2007

PrescottPhotog wrote:

Thanks everyone for all the great comments.

As you can see from most of my photos there isn't much growth around the lakes in Arizona, just blue sky and lots of shoulder high grass. These guys just cruise all day long right over top of the grass looking for critters. Then they go out over the water to scatter all the ducks (which they never catch) then back to shore to start over again cruising the brush.

And just where is this utopia?

I just might have to make a road trip.

PrescottPhotog · September 23, 2007

kdog wrote:

And just where is this utopia? I just might have to make a road trip.

Hey KDog, Thanks for viewing. Have you ever been over to Alamo Lake. I hear it is supposed to be a pretty good spot for birds, especially around this time of year. Don't you have a great place up the river by Needles too (below Laughlin) ? ..

kdog · September 23, 2007

PrescottPhotog wrote:

Hey KDog, Thanks for viewing. Have you ever been over to Alamo Lake. I hear it is supposed to be a pretty good spot for birds, especially around this time of year. Don't you have a great place up the river by Needles too (below Laughlin) ? ..

Yeah, I think I know the place north of Needles. They call it a Wildlife Preserve (I forget the name). I drove in there one day and the small parking lot had a bunch of duck hunters in fatigues loading up rifles into their float boats. Seems CA has a different notion of "wildlife preserve" than we do. :bluduh

Hadn't heard of Alamo Lake, but just scoped it out on google maps. Holy crap, talk about the middle of nowhere!!! It's 34 miles down a dirt road!

For point of reference, Google maps has it at 3 1/2 hours from Kingman, while Prescott is only 2 1/2 hours, probably because of all the dirt time. I like the fact that it's desolated though, and definitely will have to check it out some time. Thanks for the tip.

-joel

PrescottPhotog · September 23, 2007

kdog wrote:

Hadn't heard of Alamo Lake-joel

Hi Joel,

The head of the Prescott Parks department told me Alamo is a pretty good place for birds during the migration period. It is out in the boondocks though isn't it.. man, pack a lunch. Looks like it gets a lot of areas draining into it though.

kdog · September 24, 2007

PrescottPhotog wrote:

Hi Joel,

The head of the Prescott Parks department told me Alamo is a pretty good place for birds during the migration period. It is out in the boondocks though isn't it.. man, pack a lunch. Looks like it gets a lot of areas draining into it though.

Ok. For migratory though it's hard to beat the Salton Sea.

Cheers,
-joel