Red-tailed Hawk

Gallery: AvianPosted December 3, 2011170 views13 comments

Was traveling up our treacherous River Rd. when I saw this young hawk sitting in a fairly open spot over the canal that runs alongside between the road and the river. Fortunately there was a place to pull over, and he sat rather nicely for me for a good 5 minutes before flying off over the river. BG is the Delaware River.

50D, 500mm, ISO 200, 1/320, F6.3 Beanbag on hood.
LARGER version also posted. Thanks for your comments!

Comments

13 comments

Comment posted by Craig Strand on December 3, 2011 at 10:46 PM

Very nice image Sharon, I love the frontal view and detail.... great eye contact.

Registered on March 30, 2008, 416 Posts, 2885 Comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on December 3, 2011 at 10:47 PM

Beautiful. I like the pose with the perfect head turn. Really sharp with great detail. The blood on the beak is a plus for me. Nice light. The foreground limb is unfortunate, but with such an otherwise perfect image, you have to be pleased. I had a good hawk weekend myself.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on December 4, 2011 at 12:08 AM

Wonderful feather detail on the large version, looks like he had something to eat recently, too bad about the branches in front, I like the head turn, light and eye contact, way to go.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on December 4, 2011 at 12:22 AM

Great pose and fine detail. The bloody beak is a plus - too bad about that uncooperative FG branch..
This might also be good for a head portrait.
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on December 4, 2011 at 1:59 AM

This is a beautiful bird with very nice colouring, it is a pity about the twig, but I do not find it too distracting . I wonder if you could try a head and shoulders crop if the IQ stands up to ot.

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Frye on December 4, 2011 at 5:58 AM

Really nice eye and chest feathers. The head turn is just right.

Registered on February 3, 2007, 387 Posts, 1136 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on December 4, 2011 at 9:33 AM

Wonderful line up of hawks this morning

Great light and warm color Sharon, excellent details in the LP.
Nice POV and head turn, and that bit of blood on the beak's a real nice touch

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on December 4, 2011 at 3:55 PM

Very nice. Very natural setting. Nice position, good background.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on December 4, 2011 at 7:43 PM

The hawk looks very good and I like the directional light and the way the belly feathers are hanging down. The foreground OOF twig may not be ideal but it gives me the feeling of a natural setting which certainly helps to make up for it. I do notice a bit of a halo along the back of the bird.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on December 4, 2011 at 10:21 PM

love the great head turn, pose, and setting, Sharon. the branch is a nit, but not a big one, since I keep looking at the great angle on the bill, head, and eye.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on December 5, 2011 at 4:34 PM

Nice light on this hawk Sharon. I like the setting. I also see the halo. Overall, very nice.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on December 5, 2011 at 6:52 PM

Thank you Ron and Ron for your comment on the halo. I did use the s/h tool in ps to help lighten up the shadow on the underside of the tail area and have had this problem before with overuse of this tool. I missed it on this one...it is subtle, but definitely there. I probably would never print this image, but if I were to do so, I would correct that. Thanks to all others, too, for your comments. I appreciate all of them so much. Sharon

Registered on November 1, 2003, 392 Posts, 4810 Comments

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on December 5, 2011 at 8:35 PM

Nice shot Sharon, you caught him in beautiful light.

Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments