Unhappy

Gallery: AvianPosted October 8, 2011397 views20 comments

More of the goshawks..

Everyone is unhappy here - the female goshawk is unhappy the banders are messing with her babies, the gnatcatcher is very unhappy that the goshawk is anywhere close to her nest, and *I* was unhappy that I had just gotten my backpack caught on the tree I was climbing (with ropes) and had to get in a very awkward position to catch a few shots of the gnatcatcher bombing the goshawk.

Borrowed Canon and 500mm
Probably an F8 and 1/320 or so - not the best light, and I needed more SS or a higher ISO to catch the gnatcatcher clearly.
Large crop

(See the bird Photography forum for a couple more images of this feisty gnatcatcher!)

Sandy

Comments

20 comments

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on October 8, 2011 at 10:58 PM

What an incredible shot Sandy, love that ferocious looking little gnatcatcher. Great image!

Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on October 8, 2011 at 11:14 PM

Everyone was unhappy then, but I would have been very happy to have taken this image Sandy, the Goshawk alone is great with a terrific screaming pose. I guess in a perfect world the gnatcatcher would have been sharper but with the limitations of crop and shutter speed that wasn't possible and this image certainly still gets the story across about what was happening. Sweet catch!

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Marquart on October 8, 2011 at 11:41 PM

Very cool shot Sandy!!!
Great Timing!!!

Registered on October 24, 2009, 126 Posts, 799 Comments

Comment posted by Patricia Brundage on October 8, 2011 at 11:48 PM

Nothing like being dive bombed! Terrific capture, both the action and detail.

Registered on March 23, 2006, 1111 Posts, 6531 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on October 9, 2011 at 1:13 AM

A unique image. Very interesting.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie Baugh on October 9, 2011 at 1:14 AM

Great detail in everything. A wonderful photo and stretched your ability a bit, huh.

charlie

Registered on April 18, 2011, 329 Posts, 1985 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on October 9, 2011 at 3:53 AM

Fantastic shot Sandy, really like the way you were able to catch the little guy from this angle, as it's eye lends well to an expression of being p'd off ;^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Hans Overduin on October 9, 2011 at 6:29 AM

Okay, I am not a native speaker - living the Netherlands, but I guess "unhappy" is not the right word here

. I am sure many would be thrilled to see such a thing, let alone frame it . Well done Sandy

, Hans

Registered on August 31, 2011, 491 Posts, 3807 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on October 9, 2011 at 6:29 AM

The large crop shows Sandy, but no matter. Still a great image of this interaction.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Fabio Giarrizzo on October 9, 2011 at 8:33 AM

Terrific capture- Perfect timing and excellent exposure on this one- Difficult to say which is the "raptor" one- Very well done, Fabio

Registered on December 3, 2010, 90 Posts, 1614 Comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on October 9, 2011 at 9:18 AM

Cool catch. I like the point of view and the open beak.

Do you climb trees a lot? I admire your intensity.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on October 9, 2011 at 9:50 AM

I've seen this behavior with other birds and once captured a bird dive-bombing a red-tailed hawk but the shot came out nothing like this. Really wonderful capture - looks like the goshawk is a touch over sharpened though.

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on October 9, 2011 at 12:06 PM

Great image. I really like the visual created by the size difference between the attacking bird and the one being attacked. The determined look in the eye of the gnatcatcher almost has a little bit of comedy in it taking into consideration the size difference of the two birds. Also great work in getting them both sharp.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Anand Narayanan on October 9, 2011 at 1:39 PM

Awesome ! Love the intensity on the little bird's eye

Registered on October 25, 2009, 110 Posts, 835 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on October 9, 2011 at 3:04 PM

Wonderfully fun shot Sandy. Sorry nobody was having any fun but you provided us with some fun.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on October 9, 2011 at 3:21 PM

Angela - I try to NEVER climb trees any more! (Did a lot as a kid)
Here, though, they had ropes set up to raise the bird grabbers to nest level, and others set up to raise a couple photographers in an adjacent tree. You climb into a safety vest and get strapped in, then they hoist you on the ropes as you kind of climb. It's not really climbing, and the nest was about 30 feet off the ground. NOT trying to kill myself but wasn't about to miss this opportunity!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on October 9, 2011 at 8:08 PM

I wouldn't have missed it either Sandy and I don't like heights. I love the attitude of the gnatcatcher and your timing was about as good as it can get in this situation.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on October 9, 2011 at 9:59 PM

Great catch, Sandy. Worth your trials and tribulations.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lotito on October 10, 2011 at 9:12 PM

Who that is one brave little Gnatcatcher! Incredible capture. I real Nat Geo moment!

Registered on June 26, 2009, 181 Posts, 1558 Comments

Comment posted by Diane Vatcher on November 1, 2011 at 10:30 AM

Registered on November 30, 2009, 8 Posts, 27 Comments