On Monday I spent a good amount of time watching this hawk in a distant tree at Huntley Meadows Park (and, alas, missed the shot when it flew away). There is something simultaneously beautiful and fierce about hawks and eagles that never fails to attract me. Clouds covered the sky for the entire day and there just wasn’t a whole lot of light to work with. That’s why this image has an almost monochromatic look, which makes the yellow color of the talons and the eye stand out even more prominently.
I think this is a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), but would welcome a correction to my identification.
Update: A Facebook friend, who is a much more experience birder than I am, has suggested that this may be a juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus), while others say it is probably a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii ). Again I am proving to be identification-challenged.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Superb picture!
Thanks, Sue. I love raptors like this one and every time I see one I will try to get a shot, even when they are far away.
So do I… on both counts… but have never managed a shot that good 🙂
Beautiful plumage! I like the way the branches cross in a repeating pattern too!
I wondered if anyone would comment on the branches and am not surprised, Chris, that you noticed. I didn’t have much choice in framing the shot, but was really pleased when I got a relatively unobstructed view of the hawk to see the repeated X pattern of the branches.
Superb portrait, Mike. Adrian
Thanks, Adrian. I always wish I could get closer or get a more unobstructed view of a bird, but am pretty content with the way that this image turned out.
Great shot. Wonderful bird.
Thanks, Victor.
Wonderful! Beautifully framed.
Thanks. I only had a very limited ability to frame this shot because I was standing on a boardwalk and there was mostly water between me an the hawk, but I am happy that I was able to find a kind of visual tunnel to get a clear view of the hawk and an interesting composition.
You did a great job!
Wonderful image of a handsome bird, Mike.
That is a stunning picture. I love the bright yellow talons!
Thanks, Sally. The lighting conditions were such that those talons really, really stand out.
Beautiful bird!