Don't blame the cat!

[Fenman]

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e375/Exfangman/Hawk-8.jpg
My usual enemy round the feeders . . .but perhaps all those feathers on my lawn the past few weeks were not the result of the feline hunter!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e375/Exfangman/Hawk-1.jpg
It had gone quiet around the feeders except for a couple of dozy doves down on the lawn when I looked up from filling my pipe and spotted a fresh dusting of feathers.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e375/Exfangman/Hawk-2.jpg
I had to grab my camera off the tripod and move out to try and get shots through the branches of the willow moving in the wind.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e375/Exfangman/Hawk-6.jpg
Hand held in fading evening light so I apologise for quality
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e375/Exfangman/Hawk-4.jpg
I was still well pleased as I had only managed to get one grab shot before of the Hawk in the garden and this time it had to be under a tree in a stiff wind.
The position of the branches of the birch with the feeders and the willow made it impossible to use the tripod . . . but perhaps next time . . . .
The cat arrived just as I returned to mount the camera back on the tripod having missed the fun.

[kundalini]

Awesome that you "grabbed" those shots. It was really giving a hard look at the kill in the first shot. Good stuff.

[Antarctican]

Well done, especially as you were dodging moving willow branches in darkening lighting conditions. I like how you captured the possessive stance it has over its kill

Are hawks frequent visitors chez Fenman?

[Fenman]

Thanks ANTi

Hawks are rarely seen, I have only managed to photograph one some months back but now I know who to blame when I find scatterings of feathers on the grass - the one I pictured and this morning when hoeing round another near our back fence. It looks like it is doing it's best to keep the ever growing dove population down.

Any details of the Rutland meet? Hope to see you all.

[Antarctican]

The North American contingent will be there on Saturday May 23 by the early afternoon. Jeff Jarboe will be at the meetup 'til Wednesday the 27th, Tangerini and I will be there a bit longer. I get the impression several UK residents will be dropping by for one or more days during that time period.

How is your schedule looking? And were you asking about specific outings on specific days? I don't think that degree of planning has been done yet.


Good to hear the hawks aren't a frequent visitor, as when 'word got out' in the bird community, it would cut down on your ability to get shots 'round the feeder, I'm sure.

[doenoe]

Thats groovy, i know how hard it is to take pics from a bird like that who is feeding. I was doing an ok job when i saw one dining at our front door, but then the neighbour had to butt in and "save" the dove...........@sshole.
Anyways, those are some good shots of a female sparrowhawk, with those circumstances :thumbup:

[MissMia]

Nice captures! We have a similar hawk that is terrorizing our yard. Yesterday morning it splashed the yard and a dove flew into one of my windows and the hawk swooped in and grabbed it! It happened so fast that I wasn't able to grab the camera.

[renegade]

Great shot, we have three vultures that have taken up sunning themselves on the back deck of the TV station where I work. It is on top of a hill by itself with nothing but trees around and they hang around a lot. I can never get close enough without windows between us to take a good shot but I sure wish I could. they sure are ugly but fascinating.

[PhotoJet]

Great shot, we have three vultures that have taken up sunning themselves on the back deck of the TV station where I work. It is on top of a hill by itself with nothing but trees around and they hang around a lot. I can never get close enough without windows between us to take a good shot but I sure wish I could. they sure are ugly but fascinating.

Whatever you do, Gay... KEEP MOVING! :biglaugh::biglaugh:

These are great shots you got! :toast:

[Fenman]

I can never get close enough without windows between us to take a good shot but I sure wish I could. they sure are ugly but fascinating.
Can you clean the windows? If so, get your lens as close to the glass as possible to prevent reflections and try some shots. There will be some slight loss ( think of it as just another IV filter) of both definition and exposure. I posted some shots both through glass and open window on a forum and folk could not tell the difference. I'd rather have a shot through a window than none at all. The first one three of the above were through glass before I dared open a door and go outside for fear of frightening the bird off - as soon as it stopped surveying its prey and saw me - it was away!

My sigma 70 - 200 f2.8 focuses internally so I had the lens hood pressed against the window- foliage was in the way for me to shoot through the narrow opening I had lined up with the camera on the tripod for the feeders.