• Avian

    Let your creative spirit flow…

    August 7, 2022

    Out of the corner of my eye a blurr swooped by my bedroom window, wings and feathers floating through the air. It was two birds, this red-tailed hawk and a flicker. The hawk was trying to land on the handicapped parking sign with prey in its talons. The next thing I knew the flicker was flying away, more feathers were drifting through the air and the hawk was now standing on the ground with a disgusted look. I stepped outside on the porch and watched as it hung around for several minutes then perched on the sign to gather itself together. I finally decided to go get my camera and was able to get a few images. It stayed around for over 30 minutes. Have a super day!

    Side Note: A hawk is a symbol of freedom and flight. The meaning of seeing a hawk symbolizes a creative being. Encountering a hawk means you should let your creative spirit flow. It can be through music or poetry or other creative talents.

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  • grass,  landscape,  natural areas,  Plants,  Reservoir Ridge Natural Area,  seasons,  shadows,  snow,  winter scenes

    Another Cold Morning

    February 24, 2022

    sun illuminates
    floating ice crystals
    storm has passed

    ms

    Minus 1 degree this morning and overcast skies at 7:00 am. By 8:30 the clouds gave way to blue sky and sunshine. I drove out to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area to capture the beauty of nature’s wintery scenes. Just before reaching the natural area there is a farm, always with a dozen or so horses. I’ve posted images from this area before. This morning they were being fed fresh hay while two hawks were perched high in the tree tops, also hungry on this cold morning.

    I so loved the blue sky this morning and how it contrasted with the white snow.

    There were almost no tracks in the parking lot of the natural area which means I can find snow scenes without any signs of mans intrusion. It has been almost too cold for anyone to be out and about in it. Having said that I saw a hard core bicyclist riding his fat tire bike this morning on my way home. I plan on staying inside the rest of the day since we are only going to reach a high of 15.

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  • Avian,  clouds,  landscape,  sunrises

    Other Locations

    January 19, 2021

    There are two hawks perched in the trees in the lower right corner of this image. I assume looking for breakfast or already done and letting it settle. I used come to this area in Weld County on a regular basis but now find it limiting for images due to all the housing going up in the area. I drove out this morning for something different and scouted around for other locations that may work for me.

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  • Avian,  Camera Equipment,  Photography

    Two Hawks

    February 29, 2012

    Buddies

    I apologize for the quality of this image but it was taken at 300 mm, hand held and cropped. How’s that for excuses? I just pulled off to the side of the road and shot from the car window, across traffic. It’s not very often I see two hawks sharing the same tree or branch, so I had to stop. They alway seem to be a solitary creature. The other reason for posting this image is to demonstrate the affect a telephoto lens has on distant objects, bringing them closer. The mountains in the distance are several miles away. Below is the same group of trees taken from the approximate same location and at 24 mm. Just a bit of difference.

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  • Avian,  winter scenes

    Ya Never Know

    February 26, 2012

    A hawk is perched at the top of the hill on one of the fence posts
    A Surprise

    This is the same fence as the one with the meadowlark images I posted yesterday. I was drawn to the leading line and repeating pattern as well as the late afternoon light. I took three images. After loading them in Lightroom and adding keywords I pretty much just left them alone. I revisited the images a couple days later to determine if I wanted to keep them or not. Their color was off, looks like I may have had it set on AWB rather than daylight. In Lightroom I changed the white balance to daylight and liked it much better. However, I found a surprise I hadn’t seen before. At the top of the hill you will see a hawk perched on the fence post. I totally missed it when I took the image as I was focused on the fence and the meadowlarks. The photos of the fence was a last minute thing. Ya, just never know.

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  • Avian,  Plants,  trees

    Perched

    January 13, 2012

    Perched

    As I took a few images of this tree a hawk decided to enter the scene. I have a couple of images of it as it flew in from the left side and perched on one of the branches. I like the ones of him coming in but this one of him perched spoke to me me. So, here it is!

    I start another trip today then head for Phoenix on Sunday morning to visit family. Enjoy the weekend!

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  • Avian

    Harris Hawks

    November 30, 2008

     

    Harris Hawk and Trainer
    Harris Hawk and Trainer

    The Harris’s Hawk or Harris Hawk, formerly known as the Bay-winged Hawk or Dusky Hawk, is a medium-large bird of prey which breeds from the southwestern USA south to Chile and central Argentina. It is a hawk of the arid Southwest, the Harris’s Hawk hunts cooperatively in pairs or trios. The Harris Hawk is famous for its remarkable behavior of hunting cooperatively in “packs”, consisting of family groups (most raptors are solitary hunters).

     

    A wonderful place to experience these birds in flight is at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum near Tucson, Arizona. My sister and brother-in-law took me to this facility and we enjoyed it immensely. The Desert Museum is a large facility and is more than just a museum. It is a zoo, an arboretum, a desert garden, and much more. It contains buildings where education programs are conducted for young and old a like. When your feet are tired from walking you can find benches to rest, or better yet enjoy a double-stack Byers ice cream cone under a shade tree. If you visit there make sure you plan on the whole day and have fun!

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