I know very little about birds, but Annabelle tells me this guy was/is a Red Tailed Hawk. Anyway, I should have used a faster ISO here, but considering how shaky I am and my luck with animals in general, I guess this will have do.
Dennis Reynolds: “I can absolutely keep a humming bird as a pet, bro. It’s no different than having a parrot or a parakeet… it’s a bird, bro!”
Charlie Kelly: “You really… you really can’t. And I’m not saying I agree with it, it’ s just that bird law, in this country, it’s not governed by reason.”
– Glenn Howerton & Charlie Day – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
About this image: digital photograph, lightly modified
Refrigerator Magnate 
Nice sharp focus on the Hawk’s head. His eye really stands out so brightly. I love birds of prey. They are just so majestic. We have Wedge Tailed Eagles here in Tasmania & they are just the most awesome looking bird.
Don’t know if I’d like a pet Humming Bird. I think the humming would get on my nerves after a while.
Thanks, Tony! I tried to open the lens up to blur the background and increase my shutter speed, but I probably should have used a higher ISO, too, because you can see it’s not quite as crisp as it could be (even at the center of focus). Oh well.
This was definitely the closest I’ve ever been to a bird of prey…
less than 10 feet, I’d say – it was pretty stunning!
🙂
Oh but it’s so beautiful
He stayed put for at least 10 minutes, N.M…
and he let us get within about 10 feet of him, too!
Thank you so much!
🙂
More like 30 minutes and 3 feet! I could have touched him if SOMEONE would have let me… 😛 Talons schmalons!
Clearly you aren’t familiar with the powerful talons of a Liger.
And I thought it was pretty much your favorite animal, too?!
🙂
Great detail, nice and sharp.
Thanks very much, Nigel!
I was trying to keep down grain, but I probably should have used a higher ISO, because between him moving and my twitching (amplified by the long lens) it didn’t get quite as crisp as I would have liked…
🙂
Nothing wrong with this, SIG, as far as I can see. What a handsome creature.
Thank you very much, S.E…
it was amazing how long he stayed in one place…
and how close he let us get to him!
🙂
Love that crazy show! Great quote and even better photo!
I think I’ve seen (and loved) pretty much every episode so far…
I’ve been meaning to ask you if it really is always sunny in Phili, but I figured you’ve been getting that question for a long time now!
Thank you so much, Dishy!
🙂
Great bird and nice texture. I like the meaning eye.
Thank you so much, sir!
He sure looked us over for a bit – but for the most part he didn’t seem to concerned about our presence! I was very surprised by that)!
🙂
What a beautiful shot!!!
xx
That is very kind of you, Ms. A!
Thank you!
🙂
Cool capture!
I couldn’t believe how ‘cooperative’ he was!
Thank you, Eden!
🙂
So majestic!
He was quite a site, Diva!
I was very happy we crossed his path!
🙂
Great shot. I was hoping to see the red tail too. 🙂
Thank you so much, Nandini!
I was very happy to see this guy when I had my camera!
🙂
Awesome! Take only photographs . . . leave only footprints. 😀
Why thank you!
I might have left my jaw on the ground, too, though
(I couldn’t believe how long he stayed put)!
🙂
As soon as I saw it I thought to myself, “Spilled Ink Guy should have used more ISO”
ISO does stand for Idioglossia Schematomancy Obstetrics right?
Hahaha…
I SO wanted to come up with my own acronym, but you’ve bested me again, Mel! You’ve bested me again!
🙂
Well, I am the bestes… at least my wife thinks so 🙂
Your wife sounds like a very wise woman, Mel!
🙂
Oh, bird law. Is that the episode where they buy the foreclosed house? With the Honey and Vinegar real estate team? I hope so.
Also, THIS PHOTO IS INCREDIBLE. It kind of took my breath away a little when I first saw it. The color is so striking.
Good call, U.M. – it is indeed! In fact, I even went back and watched the whole episode again just to make sure. I do what I can to help, you know!
Why thank you! I’m very happy to hear that you liked it!
🙂
Great and very clear zoom in shot 🙂
Why thank you, sir!
I appreciate your kindness very much!
🙂
Yeah, so where’s the friggin red tail? I would call it more a nasty eyed hawk with a sharp beak , personally!!!!
Hahaha… I’ve got to leave something to the imagination, right?!
He is showing a bit of the old skunk eye, isn’t he?!
🙂
Incredible. The hawk’s eye is piercing. Love it.
He had quite a gaze, Ms. D…
I wish you could have seen him ‘in person’…
it was wild!
🙂
Love the raptors, great job!
I couldn’t believe how cooperative this guy was, Mr. B…
I was so happy to come across him (and to have my camera at the time)!
🙂
I wouldn’t pat it 😯
Annabelle wanted to try that.
Fortunately I was able to talk her out of it.
🙂
Very nice framing. So he was a wild hawk?
Thank you!
Indeed, sir! He was very calmly sitting along the side of the road in one of our local parks. I couldn’t believe how long he stayed (and how close he let us get to him, too)!
🙂
You’re so talented!
You are too kind
(I got lucky with this one)
thank you very much!
🙂
Sweet, this is really good.
My thanks to you for your great kindness (as always), good sir!
🙂
this is brilliant – that piercing eye, and the awesome texture of those feathers. no apology needed. iso, ishmo.
this is real. real surreal, kind of real.
thanks for sharing!
That is terribly kind of you, P&K – thank you very much!
It was surreal how long this guy just hung out there…
it must have been at least 10 minutes before he flew off!
🙂
Gorgeous picture. these wonderful birds were all about the skies when I lived in Northern Michigan.
Thank you for sharing.
You are very kind, Ms. B, thank you!
My wife loves Michigan… Sleeping Bear Dunes is her favorite place to be (so I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few times)!
🙂
woot! My daughter’s school sent the class on a field trip there in 4th grade. Miss it up there. Your wife has fab taste. Most people think Michigan=Detroit -shudder-. they’ve never been up near Traverse City.
Going thru your posts. you sir have a perfect eye and have posted some of the most unusual and beautiful pictures on the web. Glad you got a chance to see the great white north of the US as well.
It is very nice!
And I’m originally from North Dakota, so I’ve seen a whole LOT of that freezing white part!
WOWZA! You are far, far too kind Ms. B! Thank you so very much!!!
🙂
Well done! Is this from a Zoo?
Thank you, sir!
Believe it or not, he was just hanging out in a park (looking for lunch)!
He sat still for at least 10 minutes before he flew off – it was pretty wild!
🙂
simply gorgeous!
I was very happy to catch him while I had my camera!
Thank you, Marina!
🙂
Excellent! Beautifully dramatic – the texture and tone is so eye catching. Also love the contrast with the previous post .
Thank you so much, sir!
Yeah, I try to mix things up a bit (especially after a wilder post). Speaking of which, I’m wishing now I wouldn’t have posted two drawings in a row, but… eh. What can you do, right?!
🙂
1. i’ve missed ya.
2. i’m baaaaaaaaaaack.
3. i hope you had a wonderous Tgiving.
4. i have no clue whether that is a hawk or any kind. but i suck at taking pics of animals so i’m gonna say congrats. 😉
1. Aw, shucks… I’ve missed you too!
2. Huzzah! *he shouts with a mouth full-o-left over turkey*
3. (see number three) I hope you did, too!
4. Animals are the WORST models! I don’t know my botanicals, either, but at least they’ll sit still for you!
🙂
He’s a beauty. We have a lot of hawks around here. When my kids were smaller I was constantly worried they’d be plucked out the yard and carried away.
We have quite a few around here, too.
I have been fortunate enough to get fairly close to one or two before, but this was ridiculous! I could NOT believe we didn’t scare him off!
🙂
That’s a mighty fine lookin’ bird, Sig…. 😉
Why, many thanks to you, M.P.!
🙂
I hope you still have all your fingers… 😉 Lovely shot Bob 🙂
Typing with my nose has proven more difficult than I would have expected! 😉
Thank you very much, sir!
🙂
We see these hawks every day where we live out in the sticks, so I don’t REALLY see them anymore. This crisp, pristine shot reminds me that such majestic birds should not be taken for granted.
That is so very kind of you to say, thank you!
I’ve seen quite a few of them, too, but this one was SO close… it was so bizarre!
🙂
What a gorgeous, gorgeous bird! So majestic.
How did you get so close? And where were you? Hiding out in the trees, SIG? 🙂
He was pretty cool!
I really have no idea how he let us get so close (he was pretty preoccupied with his lunch, but, still…).
Hahaha… actually I had to climb down from my tree to take this one.
🙂
What a noble bird. We have Red-Tails around these parts too. Great photo…I think you are lucky to have caught him in that moment 🙂
Absolutely, Mary! I was VERY lucky!
I’ve come across these birds a few times, but getting that close to one was pretty remarkable!
🙂
This is a magnificent photograph. Beautifully done capturing the piercing eye, the texture in the swirl of feathers by the eye, framing. . . I feel so fortunate to have worked with raptors for a while, such majestic creatures.
That is so kind of you, S.F. – thank you!
That must have been quite an experience! Most the time animals don’t seem to like me much (so I probably wouldn’t do so well in that situation). So it really surprised me how calm this bird was around me… it was pretty cool!
🙂
What was his lunch? Was it a steak and a nice glass of red? 🙂 Very nice!
HA!
Close… squirrel and a nice glass of red.
And he didn’t even often to share!
🙂
Looks like a nice quit place to do some fihing and gather your thoughts.
Not too shabby a spot, eh, J.B.!
🙂
Such an intense image. Beautiful work!
Why thank you so much for stopping by and for the very kind comment as well! I really do appreciate it, sir!
🙂
That was so cool wasn’t it?! 🙂
Not too shabby!
I couldn’t believe we came across him when I actually had my camera with me, too!
🙂
Hey I really like this one SIG
Excellent work… Well done 🙂
Androgoth
I’m so happy to hear that, sir!
Thank you so much!
(This one was a lot of fun… well, they all are… but this was a pretty rare experience!)
🙂