One Less Cowbird... (Cooper's Hawk)

I took this shot from my car at the local wildlife refuge (Great Swamp NWR, NJ). I put my car in neutral and was able to roll up fairly close to this beautiful adult Coop. After I took my shots, a group of cyclists went down the road and the bird took off with its meal. I had the friendly cyclists wait while I initially took my shots, and signaled to them when I had a few satisfactory one.

Great shot. They are cool birds, but only seen now and then.

canonloader wrote in post #8442406
Great shot. They are cool birds, but only seen now and then.

Thanks Mitch, I don't see that many here either. For every 30 Red Tailed Hawks, I may catch a glimpse at 1 Cooper's Hawk. I have yet to get a reasonable shot of a Sharp-Shinned Hawk yet either. They are present but uncommon in NJ.

I like their laughing call.....I'm fortunate to have been able to follow a nesting pair last year until a GHO took all four chicks out of the nest one evening.

Very stealthy bird. You have a nice shot of one with a well deserved meal. I'm glad the people waited for you to get some shots of it.

Duane N wrote in post #8442448
I like their laughing call.....I'm fortunate to have been able to follow a nesting pair last year until a GHO took all four chicks out of the nest one evening.

Very stealthy bird. You have a nice shot of one with a well deserved meal. I'm glad the people waited for you to get some shots of it.

Thanks Duane. Unfortunate that the Owls got greedy and took ALL of the chicks.

If the cyclists hadn't waited while the hawk was in perfect light I would have gone home super depressed! I could already write a book about all of my botched opportunities.

Fantastic shot.

davebreal wrote in post #8442498
If the cyclists hadn't waited while the hawk was in perfect light I would have gone home super depressed! I could already write a book about all of my botched opportunities.

I was recently in Black Canyon National Park, driving around looking for bobcat after dark, and caught this beautiful Great Horned Owl in my headlights. It stayed perfectly still in a beautiful pose as I took out my camera, and just as I focused a car came up behind me and drove past me scaring the owl away! URGHHH

Beautiful shot.

sf1 wrote in post #8442585
Fantastic shot.

Thanks, sf1 much appreciated.

Ephily wrote in post #8443287
I was recently in Black Canyon National Park, driving around looking for bobcat after dark, and caught this beautiful Great Horned Owl in my headlights. It stayed perfectly still in a beautiful pose as I took out my camera, and just as I focused a car came up behind me and drove past me scaring the owl away! URGHHH

That's awful. I've been trying to folow some bobcat leads in my area, but they are endangered in my state and I'm not sure the populations haven't diminished even more.

jgrussell wrote in post #8443720
Beautiful shot.

Thanks. If you haven't been to the Great Swamp NWR, it's one of the best photography destinations in North Jersey. A lot of my keepers are from there.

That is one cool shot...great snag
Jim