Red-winged Blackbird harassing a Red-tailed Hawk: This shot is pushing the envelope in all kinds of ways but I love these moments between birds and thought it worth posting. Wish I'd...

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Red-winged Blackbird harassing a Red-tailed Hawk

Jun 12, 2022 08:40:41 #

bluezzzzz Loc: Stamping Ground, KY

This shot is pushing the envelope in all kinds of ways but I love these moments between birds and thought it worth posting. Wish I'd been closer...had a longer lens...better at post-processing...etc. Maybe it will give someone encouragement to go for something that looks impossible.

There is a field in town, next to a Planet Fitness, and surrounded by commercial and residential developments, that is the territory of a pair of kestrels that hunt over the field. No luck with them them but off in the distance this Red-tailed Hawk flew by, pursued by several other birds.

I got off a sequence of shots, this being the one I thought best summed up the action. Don't think the blackbird actually landed on the hawk but he came very close.

Back at the computer opened in Photoshop, used Topaz Sharpen AI, made that huge crop, and ended up with this.

RTHA_RWBB_11Jun2022 by Marshall Smith, on Flickr

Here is a screenshot of the original image. Didn't think I had a prayer, lol!

Screen Shot 2022-06-12 at 8.11.01 AM by Marshall Smith, on Flickr

Marshall

Jun 12, 2022 08:53:26 #

HistoryLover Loc: Landenberg,Pa.

Very well done! Right place at the right time. I have seen the smaller birds harassing the larger ones. Fun to watch. Thanks for posting.

Jun 12, 2022 09:03:10 #

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

Smaller birds harassing hawks is discussed in the children's book "Rufous Redtail," one of my favorite books when I was a boy (still have it and read it again recently after many years). According to Rufous' accounting it's not fun for the hawks! Rufous developed the technique (as the book tells it) of turning a somersault in the air and grabbing the smaller bird with his talons. Solved the problem for him and I have actually seen a hawk do that in flight so I guess the author based that on reality. Thanks for posting that interesting photo (looks like a young hawk).

Jun 12, 2022 09:08:34 #

hettmoe Loc: Rural ND

Very nice!

Jun 12, 2022 10:34:28 #

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Good work. It's not all about being technically perfect.

Jun 12, 2022 11:58:15 #

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Excellent action catch, Marshall!

Jun 12, 2022 12:43:56 #

bluezzzzz Loc: Stamping Ground, KY

Wanderer2 wrote:

Smaller birds harassing hawks is discussed in the children's book "Rufous Redtail," one of my favorite books when I was a boy (still have it and read it again recently after many years).

Thanks for that book recommendation, Wanderer2.

I went to Abe.com to see if I could get a copy for my granddaughter and found out that you have a real collectible! Four copies ranged from $160 to $1500. Hang onto that one!

Marshall

Jun 12, 2022 13:05:41 #

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

bluezzzzz wrote:

WOW!! I had not idea Rufous Redtail was a collectibe. It was given to me when I was 11 years old by a great aunt and her son, my second cousin. I plan to read it to my two grand daughters (5 and 3) when they are a little older.

Thanks very much for the info, although my copy is quite beat up as an 11 year old would do and is inscribed by the two people who gave it to me. But I would never want to sell it anyway since we consider it a family heirloom to be passed down to succeeding generations.

Mike

Jun 13, 2022 06:44:54 #