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Coopers' Hawk
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Coopers' Hawk

by John Tobias

Gallery: AvianPosted November 26, 2013179 views4 comments
Noticed this hawk setting in a crab apple tree in my backyard, just as I was backing out. Figured if I stopped the car to go get a camera it would fly off, so I left. Surprised to see an hour later the hawk was still there. It was a cold but sunny day. I was able to get gear and get a bunch of photos. I liked how the hawk looked surrounded by crab apple fruits. Finally after about 10 minutes of shooting the hawk flew down to where our fence meets the corner of the house, where it turns out it dined on rabbit! No possible way to get a photo. When I downloaded the photos I saw the hawk has injured his beak. Will post a closer look later. It was a challenge to get the hawks head in focus with all of the crab apple fruits, small twigs and large branches in the way.
Canon SL1
1/800 @ F-10 ISO800
Canon EF 70-300 IS USM @ 300mm HH

Comments

4 comments
Comment posted by Howard Cheek on November 26, 2013 at 10:40 AM
Nice clear view of the head, the hawk looks cool surrounded in all those red crab apples..
I see a bit of red at the top of the beak, looking forward to closer look to assess the damage :wavey:
Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments
Comment posted by Robert Strickland on November 26, 2013 at 6:48 PM
A nice photo, but it a little hard to see the hawk, the branches are distracting, however you have to take when you see them. It seems as the head and eyes are focused.
Registered on January 16, 2005, 96 Posts, 72 Comments
Comment posted by Dennis Plank on November 26, 2013 at 10:38 PM
Great job working through all the intervening twigs, John. The twigs are small enough that they don't detract too much. Hope you can get another good look at him-I saw the post on the injury, but to my eye, it looks like it's just debris stuck to the beak from it's last meal.

:toast:
Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments
Comment posted by Robert Bunch on November 27, 2013 at 7:28 AM
You did well to get him in focus through the maze of branches. Nice that the head and eye are in the clear. To bad you didn't have an overcast sky which would have helped to eliminate all the distracting shadows.
Registered on May 18, 2004, 124 Posts, 2503 Comments