For some reason, I just have not been able to capture a wild hawk (other than one or two soaring far far away). I either don't have a camera when I spot one, or I don't have a hawk when I have a camera. Typical Murphy's Law syndrome.

Today, I was shooting two pairs of cardinals while standing tucked beside a pine tree. Then all four cardinals shot off. I figured a hiker had spooked them. Coming out from beside the tree, I spot a movement about 40' away.

Anyway, I'm glad to have the hawk monkey off my back. It's like fishing for that one last fish - that's the one that takes the longest to catch :p

Shooting spec's:
Canon 30D
300mm f/4L IS + 2x TC
f/11
1/500s
ISO 400

edit: full-frame & hand-held

And a fine hawk it is. Glad you got the monkey off your back. Even better that you were able to share it with us. Wonderful capture.

Nice hawk there Loupey! I'm guessing (and believe me...it's a guess) a s/s or cooper's? Tough to tell those two apart I'm told...

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, OT & WTP07! Whew what a relief to finally get one and move on :p

Forgot to post the images of the cardinals that I was shooting moments before they disappeared. Same equipment/settings.

ISO is higher than I would have liked especially for such a sunny day. But it was very cold, I had no gloves/hat/earmuffs/tripod/monopod and the shakes were starting to set in :( The 30D is pretty good at ISO 400 (compared to the 10D) but nowhere close to what all the salespeople claim. At least to my scrutiny.

That image is quite hard to ID, but the "appearance" of a light nape and population #'s lead me to believe it's a Cooper's hawk. from a side view cooper's and sharpies have a difference mostly in the coloring of the back of the head area :)

Great find loupey! I have spent 1000's of hours chasing raptors and believe me they are not easy to get close to.

If'n it's raptors yer looking fer...head this way! I probably see 20-30 hawks a day. Mostly red-tailed, but quite a few harriers as well. Getting close to them is another story. I have had a couple of red-tailed sit for me while I got up to 10 feet away. Most of the time it's more like 100 yds away.

I'm pretty sure I posted this one before, he let me get almost right underneath him before taking off.

http://bp2.blogger.com/_Wa4FdPVoOaw/RZ1-blFZoOI/AAAAAAAAAB4/qLHpFZnIn-A/s1600-h/Redtail+1280w.jpg

I am really looking forward to this spring and summer for the eagles to come back to the Port Stanley area. Apparently there are a few bald eagles hanging around the Delaware/Komoka area, but I'll be damned if I can find them.

I've got some mixed feelings about this weekend on Amherst Island...I really want to get some good shots of the owls...but it is supposed to be a high of -12C on Saturday and a low of -26C overnight...brrrrrrrr.......

Randy.

Good Capture Loupey 99.999999999% sure its a Cooper ,Head is darker than Sharp-Shinned . Also the tail feathers seem rounder on the Cooper in the photos i have seen anyway :)
Love the Cardinals :)

Randy, I can't see your image. It may be me as my laptop has been giving me fits (shuts down irratically and unpredictably 5 to 8 times a day) since I gave more memory and a larger HD. Windows :mad: What was the other choice...:p

Paul, here's the backside of the same bird. Please ID.

100% cooper's hawk.

Nice shots Loupey. It's nice when they play "model" for ya and let you get a few angles too.

Knight: Thanks! I didn't see you there - we must have been posting at the same time :)

Paul: Thanks for the positive ID. Now I know and can file appropriately.

Jaedon: Better than that, he/she changed positions 3 times while I stood still. Then it just sat there for the longest time (in the position of the first post). So long that the B.C. Chickadees and Tufted Titmouses (or is it titmice) returned and often perched surprisingly close to the hawk. They must have known it wasn't too hungry. The cardinals never did return.

Here it is moving to (final) position #3.

Thanks again, guys :p

Those are beautiful images Loupey. That first one is great.

Great pictures loupey, and a beautiful bird, it gets the adrenalin pumping when you finally have the chance you have been waiting for.

Nice shots. I can't get those *&^# cardinals for anything. Put that tele down, we need a good macro man around here!:thumbsup:

Scott-Devon, thanks for looking! The branch across the mid-section is a downer but I'm glad I got it!

Bev: Thanks. Exciting yes and although I'm not a hunter, the feeling is similar I think. Except both parties win :)

Payn: LOL, man! You're going macro and I'm going tele! Remember my 300mm is one of my macro pieces :p


And guess what? 30 hours later, I get my second chance (now go figure!). I spot it while driving, turned the truck around with my camera at the ready, stop, open the window part way, and she flies away (not a single shot). I come back through 5 minutes later and she is perched in the same spot. I get out of the truck and walk up even closer to where I was when I was in the truck. Can't figure them out :p

Anyway here's one shot from this experience. 300mm + 2x, ISO 400, 1/500s, f/9.5, full frame.

Thanks for looking everyone.

Wow, great images Loupey! It took me forever to get my first picture of a goldfinch, now all I see are goldfinches during the summer... I see hawks in your future, lol.

Young redtailed hawk :)