Yesterday, I looked out front to find the female red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) actually sitting on the post lamp that illuminates the front walk (well, when it’s dark, and the light is on – the sun handles it most times.) This sits about six meters from the front door. Naturally, she flew off before I could get the camera and try to decide which window would provide the least distortion, because there was no way that I could get out the door for a shot. During the day, however, I discovered that she switched to perching on the roof peak right near the front door – the front door sits at the bottom edge of this roof, so a straight shot right up underneath her, if I could accomplish it. I tried a few times, but she was never present when I leaned out, or the sound of the door opening spooked her off – never sure which.
This morning, I saw her there again, and tried again.
Same approximate distance as the lamp post – I was leaning out slowly from under the overhang, trying to get past the pine needles and debris that overhung the gutter edges without her noticing, and got extremely lucky. This is at 600mm and cropped only slightly; let’s back off to 160mm:
I have no reasons to complain about these conditions, yet I’m going to, because after chasing so many subjects while aiming too much into the sun, I get a chance where the lighting would be perfect – if the lighting were perfect and not overcast. And it likely won’t happen again.
She heard the shutter and was looking around, but when her peripheral vision should have revealed me, I was holding as still as possible, though after a moment she did look downward in my direction.
Now, she and her… mate? Sibling?… have seen us before and aren’t too wary of us, but this has always been from a distance and not six meters underneath, so when she finally determined that I was right there, she flew off with some soft squeaks, as if chiding herself for being careless. But not before I got my 600mm closeups.
This is less than half resolution – at full res, you can see the individual dirt grains on her beak, and with a flash unit I’d have been able to map her retinas. She flew off to join her partner in crime on the streelight, and I imagine that she’s going to be more alert in the future, but I’ll keep my eyes open.
A few days back I saw a pair (too far away to be these two) that appeared to be engaged in courting behavior, though I couldn’t watch long enough to be sure of this since we were passing in a car. I tend to think it’s too early for that, but I’m not absolutely sure of that either. So, yeah, I’m watching for nests. Wish me luck.