Hawk! "Dinner @ My Sister's" (graphic)

[CyberDyneSystems]

We had to set an extra place setting at my Sister's for dinner this evening as we had uninvited (yet allways welcome ;) ) guests.

Landing in the big spruce in the side yard,. this lovely Coopers Hawk was eye level with the second story bedroom windows... Oh what luck.

A few more posted here;
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=71670

Good thing we had an extra pidgeon! ( yummmmm... tastes like chicken )

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=y8nfyg&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

Do you MIND! I'm Eating! :mad:
http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=y8nfy4&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

[Belmondo]

Great opportunity. Well captured.

Now excuse me while I go hurl.

:rolleyes: :lol:

[Turbowolf]

Excellent ! ! ! !

[sparker1]

Great captures, CDS. You've been taking direction from LazyPhotographer.

[mikesd]

Excellent shot CDS!!!! but the meat is just a tad rare for my taste.:D

[tupe]

beautiful bird! (I don't care to see their insides, tho.)

[cfcRebel]

Those are amazing shots! Oh wow!

[CyberDyneSystems]

I'm beginning to think that Canon is using some of the "eye-controlled AF" that is in the Elan7E "in reverse" in this new 500mm f/4.....

Seems as long as I point the lens in the general direction of a bird,. even with it's super shallow DOF wide open.. it allways just SNAPS onto the eye in perfect focus.

[Paul A]

Oh My, great shot!!!

[Titus213]

Good grief! Great pictures but PETA will shut down the site...:lol:

[Belmondo]

I'm beginning to think that Canon is using some of the "eye-controlled AF" that is in the Elan7E "in reverse" in this new 500mm f/4.....

Seems as long as I point the lens in the general direction of a bird,. even with it's super shallow DOF wide open.. it allways just SNAPS onto the eye in perfect focus.

They eyes make the picture. That's a good thing.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Good grief! Great pictures but PETA will shut down the site...:lol:

"Pidgeon,.... it's what's for Dinner..."

[sixshot]

That is such a great shot. Amazing.

[kawter2]

MAN CDS!!!!!

RAWK AND FREAKING ROLL!!! great capture!!!!11!!one!1

[John Trogdon]

Absolutely awesome!

[Solo175]

Just what were you doing in the bedroom, when you were supposed to be at your sister's eating dinner? Getting out that big lens I suppose. :oops: Just kidding.

Truly awsome shot!

[ssim]

OMG they are absolutely fantastic CDS. A great opportunity seized.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Solo,. Dude,. it's my Sister,. and we were in the little nephews room ??http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2hdzu/pics/scratchy.gifhttp://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2hdzu/pics/kukoo.gif

:lol:

Thanks all for the kind words.. it was luck and a phone call from Rachel (my sister) that made this happen.. it was a total thrill.

[PhotosGuy]

Pigeon Tartare! That's something you don't see every day!

[Solo175]

CDS, My apologies for sending this into the gutter. I do believe you and those are really outstanding photos. I am impressed.

[Airedale1]

OMG! Outstanding!

[TammieO]

Amazing!

[LazyPhotographer]

OMIGAWD! Those are SO cool! Pick up the phone, National Geographic is calling...

[tommykjensen]

WOW! Beautiful! Outstanding!

[AJ Montgomery]

Wow, what an opportunity! That is awesome!!

[zach]

Great catch! Usually I like my pigeon with a jalepeno inside and wrapped in bacon!(this is the real recipe I use)

[RockOne]

Very impressive shots indeed !

[neil_r]

A rare shot of a rare meal.

Excellent

N

[Wazza]

Are you sure that wasn't baited? (good way, to get rid of those annoying pigeons)
LMAO.

That's an excellent capture, from none other, than our biggest member at POTN. Well done.. :D

[Rob612]

Great shot !!!!!!!!!!

[mrclark321]

Great shot...with that lense you will be able to see the little white things crawling around it in the next couple of days!! :confused:

Dan

[Maureen Souza]

WOW CDS..... lucky you to have that opportunity; talented you to get such fabulous shots!!! :):)

[IanD]

Excellent captures CDS. Ones to be very pround of.

[dewmuw]

I can't find any superlatives that haven't already been used. Incredible shots CDS - thanks for sharing.

Now for the one where the pigeons get their revenge!

[CyberDyneSystems]

Now for the one where the pigeons get their revenge!

They take there revenge on our car rooftops/windsheilds and our heads on occasion in the big cities,..

No in fact I see the Hawks as an agent of revenge for us hapless pedestrians that run the gauntlet of bombardment often enough. :lol:

Thanks for all the great feedback guys... :)

[kduncan80]

Great shot, not an everyday capture.

[Reigh Higgins]

Excellent photos, great opportunity !! What kind of hawk? Possibly a juvenile Sharp-shinned or Cooper's?

[O/confusion]

CDS,

These are truly stunning in every way. What kind of window of opportunity did you have for this? I'm assuming that once you noticed the subject was there for the asking, you then had to actually get into the best possible location for the shot and set up your gear--how long does this kind of feeding situation last?

regards,
Terry

[marie]

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif
wonderful shots Cyber

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif

[MarkoPolo]

Wow--that says it all---and not nearly enough. Great captures, thanks for sharing. I'm going to KFC for lunch.

[pdrow]

WOW! those are awesome. I have a real thing for hawks. My 12 year old daughter hates me pointing them out to her. She is really into blood and gore (CSI style) so I think this is one hawk photo she'll want to see.

pam

[CyberDyneSystems]

Excellent photos, great opportunity !! What kind of hawk? Possibly a juvenile Sharp-shinned or Cooper's?

My best estimate is a first year Red Tail..
It was too large for Sharp Shinned,. and the eye color was wrong for Coopers near as I can tell.. although Coopers was at the top of my list while taking the photos. My reference books give Coopers hawks a red eye.

There was no time at all I was able to see the tail clearly.. and never from the back at all,. only quick glimpses of the underside. But it was holding it in a straight line as opposed to an open fan.. this and it's apperent size is what made me consider Cooper's over Red Tail.. it was a bit small for your averadge Red Tail,..

Not sure,. but if younger Coopers' hawks have yellow eyes? Plus where's the grey "hat" that Coopers hawks have?

Otherwise,. I'd have to say Red Tail.. which is by far the most common in our area (city and Suburbs) ...to such a degree it is really the only Hawks we ever see.

[CyberDyneSystems]

CDS,

These are truly stunning in every way. What kind of window of opportunity did you have for this? I'm assuming that once you noticed the subject was there for the asking, you then had to actually get into the best possible location for the shot and set up your gear--how long does this kind of feeding situation last?

regards,
Terry

It took long enough for me to actually DRIVE over to my Sisters!

The shots you see are hand held with the 500mm... (well,. resting on the top of the window opened from the top down) I did get the tripod set up at one point,. but by the time I did it decided it had seen enough of us and took it's meal elsewhere.

[LazyPhotographer]

The tail marking don't match a Red-tailed or Red-shouldered. Eye colour changes with age, and so do all the other markings and head. I don't have access to my books right now, but I might lean towards Cooper's Hawk too.

[MazerRakhm]

Wow, those are just fantastic! Dead on with the eyes!

I'm ok with the graphicness, I visit the Wolf Park (www.wolfpark.org) in Indianna and they have a feeding demo where they give the wolves deer parts. That's pretty graphic as well.

[hollow]

:shock::shock::shock: Maaaaaaaaaaan ! Absolutely GREAT shots !

[Lioness]

Those are really great- nice, detailed and clear.

[Tom W]

Good grief! Great pictures but PETA will shut down the site...:lol:

And in one pair of images, we go from PETA to AETA - Animals eating Tasty Animals. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it probably tastes like chicken.

Nice captures, CDS.

[skade]

Wikid shots!

[Belmondo]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it probably tastes like chicken.



Ya' think?

[CyberDyneSystems]

The tail marking don't match a Red-tailed or Red-shouldered. Eye colour changes with age, and so do all the other markings and head. I don't have access to my books right now, but I might lean towards Cooper's Hawk too.

I also felt the tail was simply too long relative to the body for a red tail.. I don't think I have any pictures showing the tail any better,. but if the eye color can change with age (and I have heard of this in other birds) than I'd say we have a Cooper's hawk.... which I have never seen in Rhode Island before :)

[Scottes]

Awesome!!!

[LazyPhotographer]

I also felt the tail was simply too long relative to the body for a red tail.. I don't think I have any pictures showing the tail any better,. but if the eye color can change with age (and I have heard of this in other birds) than I'd say we have a Cooper's hawk.... which I have never seen in Rhode Island before :)

Well, congratulations on your first sighting then! :)

I do think Cooper's - because the shins look too thick for a Sharp-shinned Hawk and the edge of the tail is curved (not square).

[RbrtPtikLeoSeny]

That is absolutely disgustingly AWESOME!!!!! Omg!!! I have never seen anything like that! So perfect, so sharp, great shots!

[CyberDyneSystems]

Yes,. Lazy.. the Sharp Shinned is totally out of the Question. It was close enough,. and I'm around full grown Red tails enough to gauge size pretty well. This bird had very near to a 3 foot wingspan.. maybe more.

It looked "a little small" for a Red tail,. (which often have 4' wngspans...) but not out of the question.. With Sharp shins only getting to about a 2' wingspan,. there's just no way.

[RMc]

"Pidgeon,.... it's what's for Dinner..."

I can't decide which I like the best...the second one I guess. Beautiful shots, both of them.

I just love that pidgeon's foot sticking up above all that mess!

Randy

[picture-this]

Whoa amazing shot, so colorful lol.

[HJMinard]

Wow :shock: !! How did I miss this thread?

Absolutely perfect captures, CDS ... now that's taking advantage of an opportunity. Well done!

[mrclark321]

Found this on the Net if it helps....Coopers Hawk

http://www.pbase.com/birdmama/coopers_hawk

[weemannie]

Stunning!!:)

[lomond]

OK!.... for the first time in over 600 posts and one year of membership I have to say it.

WOW !

Sorry, it won't happen again.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Thanks Lomond.. :) I appreciate the milestone :)

[Andrew Pratt]

I showed the photo's to one of the birding GODS that I work with and here's what he had to say about the ID.

Identifying birds in photos is sometimes not easy. In this case I would agree with you that it is most likely an immature Cooper’s Hawk for the following reasons:

- The supercilium (eyebrow line) is not prevalent in any of the three photos like in any immature Northern Goshawk that I’ve seen

- The breast has fine, spaced streaking unlike an immature N. Goshawk which generally has more and thicker streaking (my experience anyways)

- The first and second photos do not show any white bordering the dark under tail bands – a Cooper’s Hawk trait.

Hope this helps!

They're really great images BTW :grin:

[GTogs]

Terrific Shots!

[JMAS]

W:shock::shock::shock::shock:W!
Congrats, CDS!

I bet you got some 100 blurred ones :D. Those guys never stop shaking the head while feeding.

Great stuff!

[CyberDyneSystems]

Thanks Andrew.. that does help :)

I'm surprised though that the GosHawk was considered at all?.. I never would have thought GosHawk. But looking at the coloration of the juvenile.. it is similar to the Gosshawk. Very in the first pic.

the two things that would not let me even consider it though are, location... the odds of seeing a gosshawk around here are very mall indeed,.. and size/bulk. Goshawks are absolute beasts if I recall. I understand they are making a comeback in New England with regular residences in both Mass and Ct. ... so they must be here in RI on occasion as well.

And thanks again for all the kind words :)

[Ballen Photo]

Great CATCH! And yours wasn't bad either. ;)
The other (Dinner) Bird looks like it was pretty large, any idea what it was?
EDIT. Nevermind. I see where you said it was a Pidgeon?
-Bruce

[CyberDyneSystems]

Yep,. Pidgeon.. in the beginning when the Hawk first landed, that carcass was a whole bird!

[Andrew Pratt]

yes Goshwaks are huge birds but I guess b/c its sometimes difficult to judge scale in photo's he was ruling out all possibilites. He's one of those guys that knows every bird call there is and one of the top two birders in the province.

[RockOne]

any idea what it was?
It was a Pig - e - on ;-) :-) :-) !

[Belmondo]

It was a Pig - e - on ;-) :-) :-) !

Mmmmm. Pork---the other white meat.

[RichardtheSane]

CDS, I have seen worse shots from people who make their living from wildlife photography.
More than just a keeper, very good work indeed.

[CyberDyneSystems]

OK!.... for the first time in over 600 posts and one year of membership I have to say it.

WOW !

Sorry, it won't happen again.


"it won't happen again"

Hmmm.. you know.. having thought abut this,. I think I'm going to have to strive to make you eat those words.. ;)

[CyberDyneSystems]

CDS, I have seen worse shots from people who make their living from wildlife photography.
More than just a keeper, very good work indeed.



Richard,. thanks man.. that's a great thing to hear :)

[stoneylonesome]

WOW! what a fantistic couple of shots. Well done. :lol:

[cactusclay]

That's a great shot CDS.