I found a field full of robins today, a lot of snow has melted since the day before yesterday… I hope it stays this way. The robins let me get pretty close but when a hawk flew over… they were gone.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l48/paulk_68/_MG_3922.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l48/paulk_68/_MG_3936.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l48/paulk_68/_MG_3934.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l48/paulk_68/_MG_3943.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l48/paulk_68/_MG_3896.jpg

And here is the hawk that chased them away. I'm afraid the image isn't even good enough for an ID... I don't think it's a RT.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l48/paulk_68/_MG_3954.jpg

edit- Here's a turkey vulture taken before the robins showed up (on the return drive). I wanted to practice manual focus with my 2X TC, the image hasn't been cropped.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l48/paulk_68/_MG_3828.jpg

That 2nd Robin shot is great! I've been meaning to get one like that, but with more body english - like a cartoon.

Good job with the vulture MF! A full-frame shot like that (overhead) with a 600mm is tough to keep inside the viewfinder!

Nice job on the shot with the worm! I love the poses you got...:)

Emily

Your hawk is an eastern red-shouldered hawk.

Thank you Loupey, I was hoping to get a shot of one with a really stretched out worm. I guess the ground was too saturated from the snow melt, the birds were pulling them up with no trouble at all. AND.... it's not easy manually focusing on a moving bird! Practice makes perfect... and I need a lot more practice :D

Thank you Emily, even though the second image isn't exactly how I hoped it would be, it's my favorite from the day.

And thank you for the ID Paul... my first RS.... YIPPEE!!! :D lol. Is there going to be a peak time for the hawks to be migrating back? The other day when I saw the rough-legged, there was a guy from the University counting the different hawks as they flew over the bird observatory. I wish I could have talked a little with the guy but he looked pretty busy.

Spring migration of raptors should be getting moving in a few week I would say having never done a spring watch myself.

Your Robin images are great Copy, all brilliant in their own right, but 2 & 3 have the "Got it" factor. Excellent.

Thank you very much Bev.