This is my second time catching a hawk sitting on a low branch. The last time I had to wait approximately 20 minutes before he/she dove to the ground and caught a small snake to eat (see day two). This time, I was just hoping the hawk would move to a better position so I could get a good shot of him/her from the front. After about 15 minutes, the hawk dove to the ground and came back up to a different perch and began eating …

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Red-Shouldered Hawk

1/320, f/6.3, ISO 500, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

… a snake. This time I had a frontal view of the breakfast.

Red-Shouldered Hawk eating a snake

1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 6400, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

After the hawk ate his breakfast, he/she took off away from me farther into the wooded area where I couldn’t follow, so I sat on a nearby bench to wait and see what would appear. Not long after, a Pileated Woodpecker flew in quickly and landed not too far away and began searching for grub in the trees. The last time I saw a Pileated Woodpecker was from afar so I got lucky this time.

Pileated Woodpecker

1/320, f/6.3, ISO 1600, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

Pileated Woodpecker

1/320, f/6.3, ISO 2200, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

Pileated Woodpecker

1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

I like cardinals but never seem to get the right angle and closeness for a good shot. They seem too skittish and move quickly from tree to tree but I will keep trying.

Northern Cardinal – female

1/320, f/6.3, ISO 1400, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

Northern Cardinal – male

1/640, f/6.3, ISO 1400, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

I followed this guy from bush to bush trying to a get a good shot of him in full sun and a side view. I don’t think he liked me following him by the look on his face. Grumpy Wren!

Carolina Wren

1/125, f/13, ISO 500, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

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1 thought on “Red-Shouldered Hawk and Patience”

  1. Andrea

    Snakes alive! Literally!

    Great shots!

    I wonder if the male cardinal is young since he seems to have a very downy beak…….or if he has been gathering nest materials!

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