Rare sighting at Bosque

[Nancy A Elwood]

We were thrilled to get this Peregrine Falcon, apparently not seen regularly. It was in a tough setting and light, cloned out a few branches. Taken with the D300, Nikon 500 f4 + 1.4 TC, f 7.1, iso 640, 1/500. All C&C's of course welcomed. :)

http://cdn-2-service.phanfare.com/images/external/5002860_3117666_55298980_Web_2/0_0_535185a7db4c597e2131ace98a4570b8_1

[Steve Wheeler]

I believe that's a Cooper's Hawk... Definitely not a Peregrine. Nice detail in the image though. Good eye contact too.

[Dan Streiffert]

Looks like a Cooper's Hawk to me. Otherwise a nice photo. The eye looks a bit strange to me. The ones I have photographed have darker red eyes.

[Nancy A Elwood]

Thanks Steve and Dan. The eyes were definitely very orange. But as I am back home and looking at my books, it sure is not the falcon, as you all have pointed out. How about the thought that it is a sharp-shinned hawk?

[Steve Wheeler]

I am no expert at all Nancy... The two species can be difficult to tell apart. Looking at this web site...

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/accipiterIDtable.htm

I'd still go with the Cooper's... But someone here will certainly know better than I!

Will be interesting to get a definitive answer!

Steve

[Mark Schmitt]

Nice image of this bird, Nancy. But no on Sharpie, as well. Note the terminal white tips to the tail feathers and, the tarsal and leg bones are more robust and thick in sturcture; sharpie would have more dusky, to gray terminal edge to tail feathers and would have delicate looking leg and tarsal features: Coopers.

[david cramer]

Very nice catch of the Coopers, Nancy.

[Nancy A Elwood]

Well, I think Coopers it is. Thanks all for the info and nice comments!

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Nancy, You are one lucky lady. 14 years at Bosque and all that I have is a few lousy images of this bird. Lovely COMP and a great body position and head angle. It could use a contrast boost for more pop. With the bull neck and the thick legs, this is a Cooper's Hawk. The barred chest and gray mantle make it an adult.

Can you post the converted image as it looked before you brought it into Photoshop?

[Nancy A Elwood]

Hi Nancy, You are one lucky lady. 14 years at Bosque and all that I have is a few lousy images of this bird. Lovely COMP and a great body position and head angle. It could use a contrast boost for more pop. With the bull neck and the thick legs, this is a Cooper's Hawk. The barred chest and gray mantle make it an adult.

Can you post the converted image as it looked before you brought it into Photoshop?

Thanks Artie!!:) I was very excited myself! ok there is one repost with a bit of contast boost and the the original after conversion.

http://cdn-2-service.phanfare.com/images/external/5002860_3117666_55305619_Web_3/0_0_304acb7500c9ff7ee4cb7d9fdd5d9695_1

http://cdn-2-service.phanfare.com/images/external/5002860_2206323_55305708_Web_3/0_0_a92ad9cbb7d062de5d575bab1e685267_1

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks for the repost. The image held up to a big crop but I was a little (and justly) suspicious of all the criss-crossing in the BKGR. You did a pretty good job of eliminating the two large problemmatic branches. You could go with even a bit more contrast.

[Nancy A Elwood]

Thanks Artie. Yes, the BG was very problematic and I do not usually clone so much, but I tried it with the upper big branch and it was too over powering. Also, there were some bright areas I got rid of. Yes the image held up pretty well to the crop. I tend not to over due the crops, but it was such a nice subject I thought it was worth giving it a go. The hawk flew off before we could set up at a different angle, and I ALWAYS do a few shots right at first, so if the subject does get away I would of attempted the few.