Vulture and Hawk in Flight (not together unfortunately)

Vulture and Hawk in Flight (not together unfortunately) · 09:57 PM

So I got my most successful "BIF" shots to date this afternoon...

All these shots are crops but the shortest long edge is 1500px, so there not too bad. They may also be over sharpened a bit, as they were a bit soft, and need some usm and I'm a hack with sharpening.

This turkey vulture was sitting by the road, and I saw him in time to stop the truck, and grab the camera off the passenger seat (i was anticipating this sort of opportunity, and had the bigma on it already). The vulture launched just as I was opening my door, so I missed that shot, then he flew out over the nearby valley, before circling closer again...

I think this is a Red Shouldered Hawk, but I'm no ornithologist.

scott-devon · 09-08-2008, 05:22 AM

Beautiful shots, that first one of the hawk with the highlight in his eye is wonderful. congrats.

cupic · 09-08-2008, 06:42 AM

They are called the Vacuum of the sky for nothing they just fly around looking for a meal

cheers

Nowhere Matt · 09-08-2008, 08:04 AM

Since you called it a turkey vulture that means you are not from Texas or Missouri or you looked up the proper name in some reference material.
"Buzzard" is a slight peeve of mine and one of the many ridiculous ways I make myself feel superior. I have issues.
Now the hawk images are also good but close up views would be so much better. They are just as interesting perched on a fence post or power line cropped in tight around the shoulders and head as the view of them in flight.

heliphoto · 09-08-2008, 08:23 AM

Originally posted by scott-devon

Beautiful shots, that first one of the hawk with the highlight in his eye is wonderful. congrats.

Thanks sd. They are the best I've gotten in flight.

Originally posted by Nowhere Matt

Since you called it a turkey vulture that means you are not from Texas or Missouri or you looked up the proper name in some reference material.
"Buzzard" is a slight peeve of mine and one of the many ridiculous ways I make myself feel superior. I have issues.
Now the hawk images are also good but close up views would be so much better. They are just as interesting perched on a fence post or power line cropped in tight around the shoulders and head as the view of them in flight.

Indeed I'm not from those locations (california). However, my mom's from Nebraska, and as a kid I think we called 'em buzzards or vultures interchangeably. I credit sixth grade science camp with teaching me to call 'em "Turkey Vultures".

I missed several opportunities for shot's of the birds sitting. First missed shot was a hawk which I didn't see sitting on a fencepost right beside the road. He flew off too quick for me to get a shot off, but if I had seen him from a distance I might have got pretty close. The second miss was even worse... I stopped to shoot two buzzards

which were overhead, and as they soared eastwards, up the hill, I got in my truck to follow... They resumed circling near the top of the rise and conveniently there's a tree shaded pullout there for me to park under to resume the chase on foot. As I approached the tree, about seven vultures launched from it and flew away faster than you can shake a bigma... what a lost opportunity. There was a dead vulture under that tree, and his compatriots had gathered in the tree either to mourn, or more likely to chow (or maybe they just hang out there). I didn't get a single decent frame of any of that group

.

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09-08-2008, 05:22 AM	#2
scott-devon Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Alberta Posts: 2,140	Beautiful shots, that first one of the hawk with the highlight in his eye is wonderful. congrats.

09-08-2008, 06:42 AM	#3
cupic Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia-NSW Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,824	They are called the Vacuum of the sky for nothing they just fly around looking for a meal cheers

09-08-2008, 08:04 AM	#4
Nowhere Matt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Nowhere Land Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,362	Since you called it a turkey vulture that means you are not from Texas or Missouri or you looked up the proper name in some reference material. "Buzzard" is a slight peeve of mine and one of the many ridiculous ways I make myself feel superior. I have issues. Now the hawk images are also good but close up views would be so much better. They are just as interesting perched on a fence post or power line cropped in tight around the shoulders and head as the view of them in flight.

09-08-2008, 08:23 AM	#5
heliphoto Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Region 5 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,539 Original Poster	Originally posted by scott-devon Beautiful shots, that first one of the hawk with the highlight in his eye is wonderful. congrats. Thanks sd. They are the best I've gotten in flight. Originally posted by Nowhere Matt Since you called it a turkey vulture that means you are not from Texas or Missouri or you looked up the proper name in some reference material. "Buzzard" is a slight peeve of mine and one of the many ridiculous ways I make myself feel superior. I have issues. Now the hawk images are also good but close up views would be so much better. They are just as interesting perched on a fence post or power line cropped in tight around the shoulders and head as the view of them in flight. Indeed I'm not from those locations (california). However, my mom's from Nebraska, and as a kid I think we called 'em buzzards or vultures interchangeably. I credit sixth grade science camp with teaching me to call 'em "Turkey Vultures". I missed several opportunities for shot's of the birds sitting. First missed shot was a hawk which I didn't see sitting on a fencepost right beside the road. He flew off too quick for me to get a shot off, but if I had seen him from a distance I might have got pretty close. The second miss was even worse... I stopped to shoot two buzzards which were overhead, and as they soared eastwards, up the hill, I got in my truck to follow... They resumed circling near the top of the rise and conveniently there's a tree shaded pullout there for me to park under to resume the chase on foot. As I approached the tree, about seven vultures launched from it and flew away faster than you can shake a bigma... what a lost opportunity. There was a dead vulture under that tree, and his compatriots had gathered in the tree either to mourn, or more likely to chow (or maybe they just hang out there). I didn't get a single decent frame of any of that group .