Thursday, October 25, 2012

Cooper's Hawk, Mustatatuck NWR


As I entered Mustatatuck early afternoon, I turned right onto the marsh road and decided to allow two vehicles to pass me on the gravel road. As I moved the car back toward the center of the road, I looked up and saw something large moving in a tree off to my right, not far from the road.
A beautiful Cooper's Hawk had obviously just finished a kill and was busily preening. While he was busy, I grabbed the camera and proceeded to photograph. These are the images of him quietly resting moments later.
Getting a hawk to stay put while taking images when you are this close seldom happens, unless you have a 400-500 mm lens and are a little farther away. So I was happy to have my car as camouflage even though I knew that wouldn't hold up for long.
Such a beautiful bird of prey. I have to say he's got some serious looking claws on him perfect for devouring his prey. I also captured several images of an American Coot in the marshes, and some other bird images I'll share soon. ENJOY!

8 comments :

  1. I guess you did have a good day! These are really nice, Carol.

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  2. The yellows are breathtaking. What fabulous photos, Carol. I wouldn't want to be a mouse!

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  3. Fantastic photos!

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  4. I like the pose on the third one. What a great looking hawk!

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  5. Wonderful! I've missed three opportunities so far this fall. As you say,they don't stay put. Wonderful.

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