Project Interaction: Juvenile Hawk vs Kingbird

[Bill Jobes]

This fledgling Red-tailed hawk, just two days out of the nest and up on a high branch, braces defensively as an Eastern Kingbird makes a pest of itself. :)

To protect its eyes, the hawk has both nictitating membranes fully deployed.

Nikon D3
600 II VR
1/1250
F/7.1
ISO 1250
Gitzo 5541LS
Wimberley II Head

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Great action captured here and well composed with good exposure and detail. Wish the hawk had his eyes open but sometimes you just can not get it all :)

[Axel Hildebrandt]

The behavior makes this one for me. The highlights look a bit bright on my monitor and there is a slight halo around the Kingbird.

[Bill Jobes]

Thanks for the comments, Judy !

Actually the eyes are 'open', as the protective membranes are translucent, and the bird can see the incoming threat.

I do have images with the membranes retracted, but thought it might be instructive to show the young hawk's instinctive, defensive response to preserve its eyesight.

I fully appreciate and understand your observation, as under most circumstances, I too cull images with deployed membranes. :)

[Bill Jobes]

Thanks Axel; that's a fair observation.

I think the image pretty much represents what my eye saw at the time. The hawk was taking an almost direct horizontal light hit from the bright late-day sun. In fact, the chest feathers looked white to the naked eye, even though there are some yellow highlights there.

Taking your suggestion, I did go back and, using an adjustment layer, reduced the overall image brightness. The result was more 'pleasing', but it would have altered the reality of the scene. :)

[Hendri Venter]

Brave little bird that. Interaction very well captured Bill.