Hawks

Dale Matson

Click On Photographs To Enlarge

To use an antiquated phrase (and pun), eagles “Are scarce as hen’s teeth. “There are few eagles to photograph and they are limited in the areas they appear near me. However, while eagles are hard to find, hawks in general are ubiquitous and Red-Tailed Hawks in particular are the most common around here.

All one has to do is look up. They can even be seen in the tops of tall Redwood Trees in my neighborhood. They are common in the foothills and around the shores of local reservoirs. You can see them on fence posts, on top of utility poles and windmills. They seem to fit in seamlessly with modern civilization.

Unlike eagles, they spend lots of time in the air soaring and looking for squirrels, rabbits, mice, snakes and other ground creatures. I never tire of watching them soar as individuals or in pairs. During mating season, you can see the male flying with his legs down in a choreographed aerial dance.

When I ran trails, hawks used to follow me looking for mice I might scare up for them to capture and eat. They kill their prey using their sharp talons and beak, while Falcons use sheer speed and impact.

I had and lost a photo of the smaller Coopers Hawk and do have a photo of the smaller Red Shouldered Hawk.

If there is any doubt in your mind what bird is overhead, it becomes immediately obvious when the sun reflects off the underside of the wings. The pattern is a thing of beauty and their movements and acrobatics are a joy to watch.

In winter the hawk nests are obvious but when the eggs are laid and as Spring emerges, the leaves develop on the branches and hide both the nests and the developing chicks housed therein.

If you drive down a rural highway through the rolling foothills, the hawks seemed evenly spaced along the way which demonstrates a rather small territory compared to eagles.

Hawks are sometimes bold enough to sit on an overhead branch as you pass under it. I have a photograph of a hawk less than 30’ overhead. Thanks for your patience hawk!

While birds in flight (BIF) are the most beautiful photos of birds, they are also the most difficult to take. These photos were taken with the Sony A7R2 and adapted Canon 400 f4 D.O. and more recently with the A7R3 and Sony 100-400 GM. Sorry about the dust spots on my sensor which showed up in some of the photos.

 Courting Ritual

 Red Shouldered Hawk

 Patient Overhead Photo