Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

In my previous post I mentioned that I thought the hawk in the bush was a Cooper's hawk. I was wrong it is a Sharp Shinned Hawk. The first shot below was taken the day before yesterday and he hid behind the foliage, so after he left I did a bit of trimming and got some shots yesterday as clouds started moving in. On a couple of the shots I had to open the aperture due to the dimmer light which limited the depth of field (you can actually notice the difference in his pupil dilation in the shots from yesterday and the day before when the sun was out). Shortly before I got these shots I saw him swoop in grab a humming bird and take off with it (I assume that the blood on his talons was from his grab and go lunch). I also got a few shots of the other birds that immediately left when he came by. The shots of the other birds still had some sunlight as the clouds where just starting to move in at that point. All these shots where taken a 1000mm using a canon 500mm lens with a 2x canon teleconverter (note: the shots of the other birds where also cropped some). The first shot was taken on 1/21/21 around 3:10 PM. Subsequent shots where taken on 1/22/21, the non-hawk shots where taken between 1:00 and 1:40 PM, the hawk shots where taken around 2:30PM . All questions comments and suggestions are welcome.

Hiding in the bush, Day before yesterday, note: the size of his pupil in and compare to the shots yesterday after the clouds moved in.

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Belly up to the bar.

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Hovering Humming bird.

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One hummer watches as another one zooms by.

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Gold Finch hanging around the feeder

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Gold finches chowing down. The clouds where starting to move in. Shortly after this the hawk came back and everyone left.

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Note: the bit of blood on his talon.

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He was keeping an eye on me. This image came out very sharp and is worth the double download.

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photophile Loc: Lakewood, Ohio, USA

Fine series, especially the last image!

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Hi photophile
Thanks for checking out the bird pictures and for the comment. When I take enough shots every now and then you get a good one.

ShelbyDave Loc: Lone Rock, WI

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Hi ShelbyDave
Thanks for viewing the bird images and for the Thumbs up.

Amator21 Loc: California

A very fine series. Your trimming did wonders. Very nice compositions!

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

For artistic merit I give No,1 a 10. That is one of the most amazing shots I have ever seen

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Hi Amator21
Thanks for checking out the bird images and the comment. I did some cropping on the non-hawk images to bring them in closer but not the hawk images (They are full frame).

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Hi Curmudgeon
Thanks for viewing the hawk and bird images and for the comment. I like the hawks eye in the first image and it helps tell the story of his visits.

WDCash Loc: Milford, Delaware, USA

Great shots.
Why do you now think its a Sharpshinned?

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Hi WDCash
Thanks for viewing the my latest birds shots and for the comment. On my previous post, a fellow from uglyhedgehog pointed out to me that it wasn't a Cooper's hawk, but was a sharp shinned hawk. After look up a sharp shinned hawk on google I agree with his assessment.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

I love your shots and the beautiful variety That is certainly a high-use bird feeder you have

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Hi joecichjr'
Thanks for checking out the bird images, for the comment and the Thumbs up. In the spring and summer I'm filling some of the feeders everyday day or so.

LeeK Loc: Washington State

Great captures. I mistook a Sharp Shinned Hawk for a Coopers the first time I saw one too. Was not aware that there was such a thing but there was something different that I couldn't define. So I started looking in my bird book. They are definitely neat.

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Hi LeeK
Thanks for checking out the bird images and for the comment. I not much of a bird expert but slowly learning a bit from folks on the uglyheadgehog. I also had never heard of a sharp shinned hawk and found a picture of a Coopers hawk that looked pretty close so that is what I had originally called him, but after being told about and looking up a sharp shinned hawk it was clear that the images I took was of a sharp shinned hawk.