Sharp-shinned Hawk

Gallery: AvianPosted September 21, 2013119 views10 comments

This juvenile started coming by to case our bird feeders a few days ago. It seems reasonably cooperative. The first time we noticed it, I went out to try for some images and it changed perches a couple of times, but stayed in the back yard. Less than an hour ago, my wife called me from the back porch and it was perched in a dead Madrone branch we'd set up by one of our feeders no more than five feet from the porch. I took a few shots through the screens and door window then gently opened the door and it let me take quite a few images before it flew-then it just flew to another perch in the yard.

1Div, 300mm f4 ISL + 1.4TC, hand held, f8, 1/640, Av mode with no compensation, iso 640. Taken in portrait format (it wouldn't fit in landscape) and cropped just a bit from left and bottom for composition. I removed a few extraneous branches that didn't touch the bird. Processed in CS6. Taken today at 3:44 pm.

Your comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Thanks for looking,

Comments

10 comments

Comment posted by John Jeevaratnam on September 21, 2013 at 10:57 PM

Nice sharp shot Dennis. I like the pose and the ruffled feathers.

Registered on July 29, 2013, 112 Posts, 229 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Kearl on September 21, 2013 at 11:37 PM

I would tone down the highlights in the Bg a bit and maybe remove some of them.
Very sharp hawk and nice angled perch. I would also tone the perch down a bit.
Excellent capture though, a few tweaks would really make this shine for me.

Registered on September 2, 2013, 209 Posts, 1514 Comments

Comment posted by Hans Overduin on September 22, 2013 at 5:42 AM

Congrats for getting your shots ! Wonderful species. Cool ! Hans

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

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on September 22, 2013 at 1:31 PM

Nice detail and pose. The sharpies and coop's that visit our yard rarely pose and I'd love to have such an opportunity. I'd bring down the brightness on the branch a bit but not worry about the brighter spots in the background.

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

Comment posted by Ken Archer on September 22, 2013 at 3:22 PM

A great pose you captured of this youngster Dennis. I like seeing all that wonderful detail in the large version.

Sweet One!

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Patrick O'Healy on September 22, 2013 at 4:43 PM

Wonderful shot and great story. I agree with Dan and Richard about toning down the branch and background. Regardless, good job!

Registered on March 13, 2011, 326 Posts, 1679 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Strand on September 22, 2013 at 4:57 PM

Wow, this is a wonderful shot Dennis, such gorgeous detail, wonderful pose, look and BG. Very well done indeed, congrats!

Registered on March 30, 2008, 416 Posts, 2885 Comments

Comment posted by Jefferson Silva on September 23, 2013 at 12:13 PM

This is beautiful, Dennis.
Very sharp image, great shot!

Registered on December 18, 2012, 162 Posts, 975 Comments

Comment posted by Martin Dunn on September 23, 2013 at 12:26 PM

Lovely shot Dennis with loads of detail.
How fantastic to have such a bird visiting your back yard.

Registered on February 20, 2013, 198 Posts, 1011 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on September 25, 2013 at 9:17 AM

Nice detail and I like the diagonal perch even though it is slightly bright.

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