The crows were making a racket yesterday morning at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and I wondered if they were harassing a raptor. Even though they are a lot smaller than most hawks, eagles, and owls, crows are fearless in their efforts to force the much larger birds to leave their area.
As I walked down the trail scanning the trees, I spotted the bright underside and tail of a large bird that looked to be hiding. Rather than perching upright, the bird seemed to be perching horizontally. I approached as stealthily as I could and eventually managed to get almost directly underneath the the bird, which I believe is a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus). The hawk looked straight down at me with a look of mild disapproval. I managed to capture this image in the seconds before the beautiful bird reluctantly took off.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Maybe he was upset that you were too big to carry off.
Oooo, a bit unsettling … great photo! He’s not exactly smiling for the camera.
Thanks, Jazz. It was a little unsettling, but really cool to have a powerful bird like a hawk staring straight at me.
Excellent photograph from a unique perspective, Mike!
The vertical “teardrop” pattern on the breast, combined with the overall appearance, indicate this is an immature Red-shouldered Hawk.
Nice Mike! Like the intense look on the hawk!
They are always serious and looking for the next meal. Nice capture of that look, Mike.
Excellent shot, as always! 🙂
Terrific capture against the blue sky, Mike, and such intensity in that gaze.
Looking at me…looking at you…it’s so much fun to interact with the critters we encounter in such a personal way.
It definitely is fascinating to make eye contact with our subjects. Sometimes our gaze is met with a sense of curiosity and our glances linger for a while. More often, though, I suspect that the subject recognizes that I am a potential predator and prepares to flee. I try to move slowly and stealthily to invoke the curiosity rather than the fear.
I also often saw how crows dare to chase away large birds and with success. They are really fearless.
Beautiful!
Excellent capture, Mike! I love seeing a different perspective and those powerful talons.
Now that is a terrific photo! That eye is amazing. What an angle! The sky pure blue. Whew! You had to feel good about that one, Mike!