WARNING: Graphic Images. Better view with an empty stomach !!

Shot with ISO 1600. Some under sunlight.


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300mm full frame shot. Here the clouds blocked the sun:
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I don't know what that is.


That should be enough. And I hope you're all right :)

second and third shot should be intestines....

i thought you said they were bad? and wow 1600 iso!

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Originally Posted by Dylan8i

i thought you said they were bad?

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You mean bad shots? Hmm...don't think I said that. Not saying that they're good either :p Just record photos.

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and wow 1600 iso!

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Yes, 1600. Call me crazy :D :D

This is the first shot I got after the hawk had taken off. As you can see, I didn't get everything in the frame. But you can see the wings were high up ready for a powerful downstroke.



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Wonderful captures and great shooting @ 1600..in awe !

Great shots, very low noise for 1600 too which is impressive. I'd be very tempted to print the series and frame them as a story board if they were mine. They really are excellent.

nope i meant bad as in gross....

dinner and a doggy bag!

With which camera did you get such great shots at 1600 ISO?
I agree with Scott. These and the others you have posted, placed in a chronilogical timeline, would make a wonderful series worthy of publication.
There's a lot of pretty pictures around of wildlife posing, but this captures life at its wildest in some vivid and dramatic images. I'm telling you, man, you've got something special here.

WOW!!! AMAZING shots!!!

Love that "tug" shot in #1.

Just curious, why did you use ISO 1600? It seems like there was still plenty of light based on the angle of the sun.

Also, how were you able to be in the right spot at the right time? I ask because I've come across the remains of situations like this, but I've not been able to actually witness it.

Simply amazing!!!

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Originally Posted by AgingEyes

That should be enough. And I hope you're all right :)

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Arghhhhhh, EEEWWWW, Arghhhhhh, YUCKKKK

Just kidding... :p

Fantastic images, AgingEyes. :thumbsup: Love the very precise focusing and clarity. And wow, ISO 1600... I would have thought something like 200 or 400.

Awesome work!

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Originally Posted by Loupey

Just curious, why did you use ISO 1600? It seems like there was still plenty of light based on the angle of the sun.

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Because I started with shooting the juvy in the shade while it was perching, watching the ducks down below in the water:

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After that, I was too lazy to change the ISO :blush2:

Most of the shots were taken with a 1.7TC, too, and I wanted to stop down a bit to ensure better sharpness, DOF and faster shutter speeds. The sun was there but sometimes it was blocked by the clouds, too.

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how were you able to be in the right spot at the right time?

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It was because some birder posted on the local birding list that the hawks were found once again in that park hunting by the pond like the year before. With a bit of luck, too, and ended up in the right place and at the right time. That day was also the only sunny day in a week or so. That morning when I was getting into my car, I still was thinking where to go. I actually was about to leave if not because I saw another photog was still waiting by the pond. He showed me where the hawk were and I decided to stay a bit longer and walked towards where the hawk was. Next thing I knew the hawk was flying down from the tree. And I and that other photog started running.

Here's the first shot I got after the hawk took off from the tree (at least 60% cropped):

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This is the next shot in the sequence (huge crop). The hawk still looks in focus despite the background:

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Other photographers got the chances to photo the adult goshawk and its prey, but the adult one usually flew away pretty fast to get away from the human beings. This juvy somehow stuck around for almost an hour just feeding on the wigeon despite 6 to 10 people were nearby (with me the closest). I saw the adult hawk that day, too, but it was way high on another tree somewhere else.

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Originally Posted by A.M.D.A.

I would have thought something like 200 or 400.

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Well, it also helps that most of the colors are of light colors and it was pretty brigh. Noise is more noticeable in dark areas.

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Originally Posted by Ron Kruger

With which camera did you get such great shots at 1600 ISO?

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D300.

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I agree with Scott. These and the others you have posted, placed in a chronilogical timeline, would make a wonderful series worthy of publication.

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I've taken close to 280 photos just on the hawk eating the duck. I could have taken more if not because I didn't have another memory card with me. I had to delete some shots to make room. Lesson learned :blush2:

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There's a lot of pretty pictures around of wildlife posing, but this captures life at its wildest in some vivid and dramatic images. I'm telling you, man, you've got something special here.

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Thanks, Ron !

Thank you all again !!

I haven't shown you my favorite one yet :)

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Originally Posted by paulnj

dinner and a doggy bag!

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Want some ? :D :D

Jericho Beach Park? (If you don't mind, since I would also like to see a goshawk). :)

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Originally Posted by A.M.D.A.

Jericho Beach Park? (If you don't mind, since I would also like to see a goshawk). :)

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Yes, and go quick.

WOW !!! Great shots...... Amazing.... I think a story board would look great on a wall....

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haven't shown you my favorite one yet

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I would love to see this shot.....

Again, Nice Job...

Phil

Thanks for the additional info and images! The entire sequence is now much clearer in my head. And I now see why you had it at ISO 1600 - especially with a TC under those conditions. I also understand the importance of being connected with the local birding community (I joined one recently as well) to tap into the vast weath of knowledge and all those additional eyes.

Last question: so the adult goshawk swoops in and nails the duck. People rush in, adult goshawk flies away without prey. Immature goshawk flies down and feeds on the duck as-is, where-is. Am I following correctly? By your write-up I'm assuming that those two images of the hawk flying down are of the adult?

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Originally Posted by Loupey

Last question: so the adult goshawk swoops in and nails the duck. People rush in, adult goshawk flies away without prey.

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I was referring to other photog's experiences. From their photos, it seems to me they usually saw only the adult hawk with the prey as opposed to my seeing the juvy and its prey. And they also only had a short time to photograph the hawk before it flew away with its preys to other secluded spot.

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Immature goshawk flies down and feeds on the duck as-is, where-is. Am I following correctly? By your write-up I'm assuming that those two images of the hawk flying down are of the adult?

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They are the photos of the juvy, the beginning of the whole series of shots. I did not take any photo of the adult, which is largely gray in color. The adult goshawk was too high up on another tree. I mean way up! The juvy fed on the duck where it caught it, stayed there for almost an hour before it took off with whatever was left and shown in one of my shots.

Hope that clear up something :)

Looking back, I probably could have switchd to ISO 800 and f5.6 for most of the shots. Just didn't think about doing that at that time. Sign of inexperience :blush2:

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Originally Posted by AgingEyes

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Originally Posted by A.M.D.A.

Jericho Beach Park? (If you don't mind, since I would also like to see a goshawk). :)

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Yes, and go quick.

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Well, I went this morning and spent nearly all day there... no luck seeing a goshawk. :( I did watch a couple of persons feeding the ducks got some seagull shots... also found a pile of feathers (with guts), perhaps your wigeon's remants...?

Very windy and the ground was covered in snow/mush/ice... :( :( :(

But thanks, I might go back again sometime. Nice park. :)

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Originally Posted by paulnj

dinner and a doggy bag!

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:p

What a great series. Top notch, for sure! Thanks again for sharing these!!

My eyes should be aging as well as yours!! Wow!! great shots!! They should be published in some Nature Magazine. How far away were you when you shot the hawk? I would have thought that he would have flown the coop while you and the other photos were around.
Being lucky is one thing, but lucky and good is sure a tough act to follow.

bluesguy