A local farmer recently told me that he has an "albino" red tailed hawk that has taken up residence on his land and he wanted me to photograph it. I don't know if it's a true albino or not but I did drive over and saw the bird perched high in a solitary tree with several hundred yards of open ground around it. No way to get close. Since I have no experience with raptors I am posting to see if anyone can suggest a strategy for getting a good shot of it.
Depends upon how much work you want to put into it.
One idea that often works is to place a blind at the edge of the open ground and leave it there for a few days. Then go out at night and move it closer to the perch and leave it again. Just keep repeating the process until you feel that you are close enough. Then go out before the sun rises and wait in the blind.
The other alternative is just to go to the edge of the field and wait. Keep all your movements slow and deliberate. Move forward and stop. Never approach straight on but always on an oblique angle . Watch the hawk out of the corner of your eye (never stare at it) for any clues it wants to take off and leave. If it appears nervous back off and wait a good length of time until it settles down again.Then wait some more for good measure. Then slowly work your way forward again. Wait and move until you are close enough. This approach works with a lot of birds and animals. Some it doesn't work at all as their personal comfort zone is just way too big.
Option number three might be to ride out into the field with the farmer on his tractor. Sometimes hawks are habituated to things they see all the time and are unafraid of them. Talk to the farmer and see.
Those sound like good ideas. I'm hoping to find perhaps a lower perch, I don't think shooting up toward the top of a tree will make a great picture....I may just have to spend a day or two just watching.
I think the only chance you have to get eye level shots is to bait the bird. Eg with a dead rabbit. You could place it somewhere on the field and a big stone or a bigger branch next to it. Usually the birds do not even mind the hide next to it. But you have to avoid any movement. Especially when the bird comes in.
That sounds like a good idea. I didn't know a dead animal would attract a hawk .... I guess thats just like getting songbirds to come to your yard with bird seed. Thanks, now to find some rabbit hunters!
I had a similar situation. I spotted one on the DuPage River in Illinois and got a poor quality shot. I really wanted to get the shot. I did it the low tech way...just kept kayaking down the river over and over again until I stumbled across him in the right place and the right light. But yes, I would try all the above ideas.
"Albino" Red Tailed Hawk
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote