This nesting spot was being built Very, Very, slowly. The female sat and placed the sticks where she wanted them. The male went and brought back a few more. And then he didn’t come back.
She waited, and waited. While hanging around she broke off pieces of the nest tree itself. Probably frustrated.
Finally she flew down to the swamp edge and did his job too.
Eventually he came back, got yelled at (they actually do that), and he got with the program.
This is the first of two Red-shouldered Hawks we found the other day, in the same spot.
The Hawks were calling to each other while they hunted.
I usually see Red-shoulders perched in a branch watching below, right before they drop silently down on prey.
Today this one was more interested in his/her mate.
I almost never do a Black and White landscape. They are difficult and mine typically fall flat. However, I don’t give up either and I may be getting better at it.
It’s just taking me longer than most.
There is plenty of thick brush and tropical foliage in this swamp. At the right spot it doesn’t take away from the photograph, it enhances the scene.
The series here was taken as the Heron flew past me, I followed the flight and captured the birds motion past the dense brush.
These are best seen large.
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The subjects are really in an awkward position, not doing anything note worthy, or even completely in the clear. This does show two Great Blue Herons close and personal.
An image not many people will ever get to see.
I was not ready for the Heron to leap like this. I did have my camera up and ready so I caught him, just one photograph though.
They can still surprise me and take off with none of the usual body language. I think that’s what happened here.
This breaks all the rules.
The subject is seen from behind, the bird should be in the right most corner, even lighting is off…too dark.
There is a quite beauty of a large heron slowly moving along the surface here.
So here is rule breaker. I hope you like it as much as I do.
I can go weeks without seeing a single Red-shouldered Hawk. You can always hear hm in the woods and swamps, but they can hide better than most.
This winter they seem to be everywhere.
They are a common raptor all along the eastern US. There are places in Florida that only have this species of hawk.
Here the bird was sitting off the side of a swamp while another flew around and called. This one didn’t seem interested in the other hawk at all.
Click, or double tap, any image below to view the gallery.
