This also taken at the Finley NWR near Corvallis on Tuesday---an immature possibly released and used to people---let me get awfully close---or maybe had a
kill nearby?? Thanks for viewing!!
First glimpse of the hawk
http://www.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p751937485-5.jpg
As close as I dared get and not have him take off
http://www.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p424131879-5.jpg
What are YOU lookin' at? (seems the eyes are colored just a bit differently)
Color adjusted for Tim!!
http://www.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p875029678-5.jpg
Edited by JimLittle on May 08, 2008 at 06:00 PM GMT
Edited by JimLittle on May 08, 2008 at 06:01 PM GMT
Jim, wow you got lucky with that one. He just sat there? I would have been nervous and done something stupid with that oppertunity. I lke the last two the best, nice low angle. The color of the bird varies a bit from 2-3, might want to check your PP. In two it is browner and 3 redder. Nice series.
Jim yes that is a young looking bird and the fact that it is on the ground indicates two things to me. One it has a kill or some food close by or two it is hurt and cannot fly. Did you see it finally fly away? Being it was on a wildlife preserve and you thought it could be injured you should give it room so as not to hurt itself any further from fright. I would also (if there are two people) have one watch the bird and the other go or call for help from the F&W or a raptor center. The bird looks OK but being young it could be hungry and also needing help. Its hard to say just how hungry a raptor is by looking but by actions. I hope you saw it fly before you left it. Very nice photos
Lou
Lou I did consider that it may be hurt but it did rear up and take off like a pro!
I met another person on the refuge who informed me sometimes these are released from captivity for a variety of reasons and may not feel too threatened by human dorks stumbling upon them----
JimLittle wrote:
Lou I did consider that it may be hurt but it did rear up and take off like a pro!
I met another person on the refuge who informed me sometimes these are released from captivity for a variety of reasons and may not feel too threatened by human dorks stumbling upon them----
Jim, I would think a bird that looks this young and have been kept in captivity could get in trouble if released. Perhaps it was injured and rehabbed and returned to the wild. Any young healthy bird kept by a human for a length of time at a young age can what they call imprint on that person. This means it thinks the person is its parent and becomes used to them. It happens every so often. About two years ago we released a young red shoulder female after being rehabbed as it was found near death from starvation and when we threw her up into the air all the crows immediately came from nowhere and harassed it so bad I feared it would die from fright. I am glad you did see it take to flight as in the first photo the crop looks pretty full. Nice looking bird. Hope it grows into a nice red tail
Lou
What a wonderful encounter Jim, glad to have read in previous posts that it was healthy and able to fly. I think that second shot is enchanting, lovely BG and nice look back to you, that's a keeper
Jim -
It's been my experience the past few years that jeuveniles do allow people to get fairly close, as they have not learned to fear human presence. We have had a couple locally that allowed people to get within an arms length from him on repeated occasions. We have also observed them on the ground scouting the area for prey, as opposed to when they had one in its clutches. I have even watched one when he was playfully working on honing his hunting skills by picking up a stick and dropping it repeatedly as it hovered and dropped to the ground a few feet high.
Your shot #2 is certainly a nice keeper from this encounter.
- Ken
P.S. - I'll put your MLB Tripod to good use when it gets here.
In two it is browner and 3 redder. Nice series.
