Red-shouldered Hawk

[David Salem]

We have been having a great raptor season already this year. They all started showing up in my area about two weeks ago. In one morning last week I captured hundreds of frames of two cooperative Kestrels, a close shot of a Columbarius Merlin, an unbelievable close encounter with a juvenile Ferruginous hawk, a handfull of Red-tailed hawks, a bunch of Harriers, two Golden eagles fighting over a coot, a Peregrine falcon, a Prairie falcon and this beautiful immature Red-shouldered hawk. Not to mention the Kingbirds, Bluebirds, Shrikes, Larks and the two types of Phoebes we get. I shot a 32 gig card by 9:30am!
This hawk has been hanging around the same small area for a few weeks and every day that I see him I slowly work my truck closer and closer until he now is pretty calm up to a distance of about 50 feet.

1DX---840mm---f6.3---ss1/3200---ISO 1000---HH from truck @ 7:45am---40% crop

Thanks as always for looking and for your input. I appreciate it.

David

[David Salem]

Forgot to mention that he had just left a coot kill, flew to this branch, then took off. You can see the black feathers on his feet and in the air. Would you have kept them or cleaned them up?

Thanks again

[dankearl]

I would like this better without the perch.
counter intuitive I know, but the pose is so nice, that the perch clutters up the photo for me.....

[David Salem]

Thanks Dan for your thoughts. I have comps of this with and without the perch. I figured that without the perch people would want to see where he was coming from?

[David Salem]

You might be right. How dose this look?

[arash_hazeghi]

splendid Dave, super pose and sharp details. I would keep the perch although it is not perfect, without it the image looks a bit inconsistent given the hawk's pose...my eye keeps searching for a perch.

[Shantanu Ambulgekar]

Fantastic Image David. I like this image more with perch since it shows action and great work in capturing the minute details of small pieces of the twig in the air due to the force of Bird's take-off.
TFS

Regards,
Shantanu Ambulgekar.

[Don Railton]

Wonderful image David...! I too would keep the perch only because the position of the legs suggests a launch has just happened. Can see why you might consider removing it however. I would keep the feathers also..

Don

[Shawn Zierman]

Dynamic and sharp flight pose...perfect lighting. I prefer the OP. Not sure if you sharpened the perch at all compared with the bird...does not really look like it. I think having a little more sharpness on the perch might be nice. Really sweet background...one gentle round of surface blur on the bg is worth considering. Awesome image sir.

[David Salem]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions everyone.

Shawn,
I did not sharpen the perch at all so that might work pretty well. Since I do not choose most of the perhes that these birds land on, I am at mercy of nature, so they are what they are. We are starting to install some better perches in my are.
Thanks.

[vishaljadhav]

David man i thought i could touch the guy
its so lovely, i think the perch in the frame is perfect otherwise its not logical to get the pose you have which is the take off, taking off the perch really makes it loose the balance in the frame.
I love the original one and won't change a thing its lovely with great exposure and sharpness, i still feel i can touch it :)

[William Dickson]

I actually like the repost Dave. Great details on the hawk and a great BG. Well done and thanks for sharing :S3:

[keith mitchell]

David I go for the original feathers and all.it really is excellent, green with envy with the sheer numbers of raptors that you have to work on .

Keith.

[David Salem]

Thanks everyone. Looks like a good mix of thoughts on the perch. I like both and I might do a more square comp on the perchless frame.

[Edward Arthur]

I didn't mind the perch at first but to my eyes the RP without it really pops the bird against that great BG. Outstanding work.

[Iain Barker]

Fantastic shot David. I prefer the perch but agree that a change of crop might make the one without a perch the better of the two. I am not sure if I only prefer it with because I know if was there. Love the bird though.

[Daniel Cadieux]

You are in raptor heaven!! I much prefer with the perch (but can see why some like it without), but I would strategically trim a bit off the one twig almost touching the wing. With the perch in I would keep the flying debris. Fantastic pose, the face looks so cool!

[Bob Serling]

Beautiful subject, shot and head angle David. Absolutely keep the perch. It gives the picture a frame of reference. Without it, it would be like seeing a diver coming off a diving board without the board in the picture. Is morning still best out there or is the afternoon light working well too?

[christopher galeski]

Great capture,nice BG,good takeoff pose,sharp with good detail,keep the perch.

[David Salem]

Thanks again everyone. I appreciate the comments.

Bob, how the heck are you? Hope all is well. Ya, the light is best in the evening but a bit windy the last few days. I am leaving for a week but if you want to meet sometime call me. It's getting pretty good.
Take care

[Diane Miller]

Gorgeous shot -- since you have a cleaned up version, I'd add a prettier perch.

[Jim Crosswell]

A real beauty David! I like the take off pose, IQ, BG and composition. I like the OP best. Sounds like you had quite a day.

[Richard Flack]

Another stunning image David. Sounds like you are having an awesome time... well done. When can I come visit? :)

[David Salem]

Thanks again everyone.

Diane, I am going to print this one and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Thanks

Richard, let me know the flight number and the terminal so I can pick you up :)

[Satish Ranadive]

David, Somehow I missed this spectacular take off of beautiful raptor. Magnificent image. Just love it.

Regards,
Satish.