Red-Tailed (on the nest) & Great Horned Owl

PrescottPhotog

Hi Everyone,

I haven't had the chance to post for a while. I got credentials to shoot the upcoming 3 day NASCAR event at the Phoenix International Raceway this coming week so I have been busy getting everything together.. and I am stoked. Phoenix is huge for NASCAR. This should be fun and quite different from shooting BIF's.

In the mean time I got out the other day and captured another GH Owl (this time with some sun in the right place) as well as dicovering a pair of Red-Tailed Hawks getting ready to become proud parents. They have already been sitting on the nest for a while so hopefully it shouldn't be long.

I have a great location close to the nest (but hidden). I am a bit worried the buds you see on that one limb will block part of the nest as the leaves bloom but I guess I will just have to wait and see.

I will post some continuing updates to the hatching (hopefully it is successful) as well as as they grow and fledge. It should be interesting as Mom and Dad bring captured critters to the nest for the little one(s) to feed.

Here are a couple photos to set things up for the future posts. I won't go out much until I can tell there are little ones born so I don't spook them. Once there are babies the parents will probably leave quite a bit to hunt for food. This should be fun to watch them grow and leave the nest..

#1 (I thought they spotted me but it turned out to be another hawk bothering them.. which they chased away).

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

raptorcaptor

Nice set Chris! Nice light for the GHO.

Harryb

Good captures Chris. Its amazing how these damn birds always find at least one twig or leaf to be in front of them. :pissed

dbaker1221

good series Chris..The hawk didn't look to happy

jwear

very good ,we do not see many owls any more

jonh68

Great set. I love the owl pics! It's amazing how blurred the feathers make the pics look around it's "horns". I had an wol and I kept boosting the shutterspeed up, but came to the realization that's just the way it is.

PrescottPhotog

raptorcaptor wrote:

Nice set Chris! Nice light for the GHO.

Hi Glenn.. Thanks for the comments. I am amazed at how close this guy will let me get before he flies away. They react so much different from other birds I have come across. I swear he has been drinking every time I see him, you should see the shots I trash.. crossed eyes, one eye going off in weird directions. He sure gives off some wild expressions.

PrescottPhotog

Harryb wrote:

Good captures Chris. Its amazing how these damn birds always find at least one twig or leaf to be in front of them. :pissed

Hi Harry.. Thanks for the comments. I sure hope that one branch doesn't block the whole nest. I was shooting long distance too. I had my 500 + 1.4 on the Mark III. I was on a monopod so next time I'm going to take the 40D (which will give me an additional 210mm) with the above combo on a tripod, that should work out well. I don't want to get to close so I don't spook them.

PrescottPhotog

dbaker1221 wrote:

good series Chris..The hawk didn't look to happy

Hi Dave.. THAT LOOK was awesome. It launched right toward me in a full dive (the nest is way up in a very tall tree). I thought I was going to have to duck again like with the GBH but it veered off after another Red-Tail which I didn't even see.. and they went at it for a while.. fun to watch but I am so hidden in the branches I couldn't get a shot of the chase.

PrescottPhotog

jwear wrote:

very good ,we do not see many owls any more

Hi Jeff.. not many (any other than this one) around here either that I have seen. This guy hangs out in a small group of trees and is always bloody (like it just had lunch) every time I see it. I'm not sure where it lives, there aren't any nests around and I can't find any holes big enough in the trees for a den of any kind. When it flies it only goes about 50 yards and lands again. It's not there often but seems to like the area.

PrescottPhotog

jonh68 wrote:

Great set. I love the owl pics! It's amazing how blurred the feathers make the pics look around it's "horns". I had an wol and I kept boosting the shutterspeed up, but came to the realization that's just the way it is.

Hi Jon.. Those horn feathers never stop, even in the slightest breeze. Usually they are sideways. I read an article about Owl feathers and how their wing feathers are all frayed on the ends (unlike any other bird) so they are dead silent when they swoop down on their prey. Pretty amazing.
Thanks for viewing..

Giphsub

Beautiful birds Very good set Chris. It must be really nice just tucked away in there watching them!

BigAl

Nice set Chris Hope you get lots of pics of the youngsters

Congrats on the nascar cred and enjoy shooting that too!

PrescottPhotog

Giphsub wrote:

Beautiful birds Very good set Chris. It must be really nice just tucked away in there watching them!

Hi Mike.. Thanks for viewing. It's tough getting into place without spooking them. The roundabout way I have to take to get in place takes about 4 times longer than the easy way.. so not to be seen. I have some good cover until I have to set up my camera and tripod.. then I am in full direct view (except for some branches) for about the last 8 feet, so I try to move verrrrrrry slow, like I am good enough to outsmart their eyes, HA..

But they have been here all winter so I hope they have gotten used to me. The hawks and birds here a VERY skittish even though they see people all day long.

PrescottPhotog

BigAl wrote:

Nice set Chris Hope you get lots of pics of the youngsters. Congrats on the nascar cred and enjoy shooting that too!

Hi Al.. I hope to get some good shots and I hope they can all make it (if there are more than one). I keep the forum posted.

Thanks for the thumbs up on the NASCAR creds, it should be fun with 3 days of racing (Thurs, Fri and the big race on Saturday).. long days of standing and walking for these old bones.