Back to Birdseed Saving Time! For about 3 1/2 days no sign of the hawk(s) anywhere around and coming and going all day mobs of Little Brown Birds, Doves, Band Tailed Pigeons and...

Ugly Hedgehog - Photography Forum

Home Active Topics Newest Pictures Search Login Register ☰

Back to Birdseed Saving Time!

Page 1 of 2 next>

Jan 31, 2022 22:48:32 #

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

For about 3 1/2 days no sign of the hawk(s) anywhere around and coming and going all day mobs of Little Brown Birds, Doves, Band Tailed Pigeons and Crows/Ravens from time to time. I was filling the feeders twice a day and with the newly mown lawn the ground feeding insect eaters were joining in.
Then about 11:30 this morning I looked out and only one bird in sight.
This one = young Cooper's Hawk looking around in a puzzled manner at the empty feeders "Huh? There were dozens of snacks here just before I arrived. Where did they all go?"
So I took a few frames thought the double paned glass of the sliding door "just in case" and then slowly slid the door open - the hawk glanced at me and kept looking around. So in honor of the dim cloudy weather I took a few with fill flash which he glanced at and then ignored. (the flash warmed up the weathered gray wood of the old swing set/play fort) But as I reached around to back off the zoom wide enough to try for some flight shots that would include the whole hawk when it took off it saw my hand and arm move and took off straight towards the house across the pool in between and zoomed up to go over the house. Too quick for me to react and try for a flight shot. The birds attempted to come back for a while but kept doing an emergency scramble and finally gave up. The rest of the day only a few and mostly hummers at the nectar feeders. As my wife told me once "The hawks save you money on birdseed."

Canon 80D, 100-400L mk2+1.4x III @ 560mm, 1/2000 @ f/8, ISO-5000
on tripod at about 35 feet

80D, 100-400L+1.4x III @ 280mm, 1/2000 @ f/7.1, ISO-400
on tripod at about 35 feet with settings for High Speed Sync on the flash

(Download)

Jan 31, 2022 23:58:32 #

2dawgs Loc: Eastern Washington State

Out standing. Bird's expression, "hey you, where's the food?"

Jan 31, 2022 23:59:45 #

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Raptors are wonderful, good shots

Feb 1, 2022 02:42:14 #

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

2dawgs wrote:

Out standing. Bird's expression, "hey you, where's the food?"

The first one I think he heard the shutter as I used the high speed noisy mode for birds. The second one with the door open and the fill flash (s)he heard the shutter and saw the flash so yes, (s)he probably blamed me for scaring them all off with that noisy flashy thing.

Feb 1, 2022 02:44:14 #

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Curmudgeon wrote:

Raptors are wonderful, good shots

Thanks
His tail feathers look the worse for wear so if he damaged them that might explain the 3 1/2 day absence learning to cope with the steering problems.

Feb 1, 2022 04:43:17 #