Red Tail On The Hunt

Posted on March 22, 2013 by foresterartist

redtail hawk, redtail, buteo, rapture, photography, nature, wildlife

This young red-tailed hawk is feeding on a bird it caught.

His prey is more visible in this picture. It was a bird of some type, but I couldn’t identify it.

This young red-tailed hawk has made the mill site his home. He is a hard-working bird as I see him every day at his favorite hunting grounds.

This is his favorite spot. Every day he spends some time on the powerline watching the field in front of our office.

At first he would get annoyed when I stopped to take his picture.

Now he become a great model.

In case you were worried you weren’t going to get your osprey fix today, here is one for you.

53 thoughts on “Red Tail On The Hunt”

juliepodstolski on March 22, 2013 at 1:10 am said:

He has a majestic and supercilious look in his eye. His look says that he is higher than you – not just on the power line but also in the pecking order and life in general!!!

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- foresterartist on March 22, 2013 at 9:29 am said:
  
  I suppose when you spend your days looking down on everything, it might make you look down on everyone.
  
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lindamartinandersen on March 22, 2013 at 2:37 am said:

Tim,
I am so glad I discovered your blog and Mary’s. You two have a way of connecting with nature that makes your readers feel present in the moment. These photos are fantastic. Do you sell your work to magazines? Do you have your own art shows?

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- foresterartist on March 22, 2013 at 9:45 am said:
  
  The photography is more for fun and reference for art. I had some photos in “Forest” magazine years ago, but I don’t think they are around any more. Although, I have sold some art over the years, but haven’t really persued it, except for children’s books.
  
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  - LJ Innes on March 24, 2013 at 10:34 pm said:
    
    you could pursue that again easily. love your photos. you had more luck catching this guy than I’ve had chasing my latest photo envy, the red cardinal (they are much brighter in the south). they’re also too quick and very shy – but not this guy. he’s a beauty.
    
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    - foresterartist on March 25, 2013 at 5:54 am said:
      
      Thanks LJ, we never know what the future holds! So, when are you going to post some cardinal pictures? I would love to see them. 🙂
      
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      - LJ Innes on March 25, 2013 at 2:15 pm said:
        
        when I can get the hyper little bird to sit still LOL – I love the big birds too, the way they just spread there wings and catch a wind current and float without flapping – so beautiful. I look forward to more of yours. (we should have a cardinal contest 🙂 bet you beat me on that one.
        
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      - foresterartist on March 25, 2013 at 6:20 pm said:
        
        Dang it LJ, I already lost! We don’t have any cardinals here.
        
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      - LJ Innes on March 25, 2013 at 7:15 pm said:
        
        Now I’m on a mission to find you one 🙂
        
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      - foresterartist on March 26, 2013 at 7:55 am said:
        
        😀
        
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      - LJ Innes on March 25, 2013 at 7:15 pm said:
        
        Now I’m on a mission to find us both one. 🙂
        
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Erica Preo on March 22, 2013 at 5:34 am said:

I was worried about that, thanks for the osprey! Beautiful hawk…I saw one the other day that I couldn’t identify, makes me crazy.

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- foresterartist on March 22, 2013 at 9:48 am said:
  
  If you don’t have it already, get a copy of the Peterson Field Guide for Birds. It’s my favorite field guide.
  
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Linda, A Nature Mom on March 22, 2013 at 10:48 am said:

Beautiful photos! I so wish my camera could take me up that close. What gorgeous, majestic birds.

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JK Bevill - Lost Creek Publishing on March 22, 2013 at 11:15 am said:

Wisdom!

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- foresterartist on March 22, 2013 at 1:07 pm said:
  
  🙂
  
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Lemon on March 22, 2013 at 11:52 am said:

WOW, excellent shots! I especially love his “affronted look” where he’s puffed up and looking at you like Alec Baldwin looks at paparazzi. haha Fantastic photos.

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- foresterartist on March 22, 2013 at 1:10 pm said:
  
  Alec Baldwin…I love that! He was definitely wanting me to get the heck out of there so he could get back to hunting. No doubt very annoyed with the riff-raff down below.
  
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  - Lemon on March 23, 2013 at 5:51 am said:
    
    Well, I’m glad you got the shot! There is a red tail who lives over the “Connector” (bridge b/t James Island and dtown Charleston). Once a year, his (or her) mate comes back and the two of them look down on all of us commuters!
    
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    - foresterartist on March 23, 2013 at 7:18 am said:
      
      And smile little hawk smiles no doubt!
      
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Jennwith2ns on March 22, 2013 at 4:41 pm said:

Thanks for visiting my blog! I’m glad you liked the post. Please come back again any time.

Great photos. I think my husband would love your job. 🙂

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- foresterartist on March 22, 2013 at 7:49 pm said:
  
  I will. So what does Paul do now?
  
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  - Jennwith2ns on March 22, 2013 at 7:51 pm said:
    
    He manages HVAC guys for Siemens Corporation in New England. But we go hiking all the time and he often daydreams about working for Trustees of Reservation or being a forest ranger or something.
    
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    - foresterartist on March 22, 2013 at 7:54 pm said:
      
      Never too late for a career change. 😉 I bet you talk a lot and Paul is the quite one.
      
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      - Jennwith2ns on March 22, 2013 at 7:58 pm said:
        
        I write way more than I talk! I think we’re pretty talking-balanced, surprisingly. But I definitely write way the heck more.
        
        I agree with the career change thing. I seem to change mine every five years or so. Paul’s been in his for a couple of decades. He also likes it and is really good at it, though, so the career “change” is probably more likely to happen in retirement, I suspect.
        
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      - foresterartist on March 22, 2013 at 8:05 pm said:
        
        You write well and its very amusing! It is good he enjoys his career. You two sound like wonderful people.
        
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      - Jennwith2ns on March 22, 2013 at 8:06 pm said:
        
        Well thank you–you sound pretty cool yourself. Paul and I are pretty different (from normal people–and each other!), but we are equally wonderful. 😉
        
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      - foresterartist on March 22, 2013 at 9:47 pm said:
        
        😀
        
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elenacaravela on March 22, 2013 at 5:03 pm said:

He’s magnificent, but I’m going to keep an eye on my cats.

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- foresterartist on March 22, 2013 at 7:51 pm said:
  
  Cats….hmmmm. That might be a good idea. Or should I say, cats….yummm.
  
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betharr on March 23, 2013 at 3:25 am said:

nature! it amazed me! thx.

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- foresterartist on March 23, 2013 at 7:05 am said:
  
  I’m glad you enjoyed. Nature is amazing, beautiful, wonderful and terrible. So many different faces to it, but always fascinating and fun to photograph.
  
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  - foresterartist on March 23, 2013 at 7:11 am said:
    
    I checked out your blog. Beautiful photography and so different from what I do.
    
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Helen on March 23, 2013 at 4:03 am said:

Thank you so much for liking my post – otherwise I may never have found your blog and enjoyed my time here – I’ll be back!

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- foresterartist on March 23, 2013 at 7:16 am said:
  
  Thank you Helen, no greater compliment than, “I’ll be back!” Unless you’re Arnold Schwarzenegger.
  
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Zest on March 23, 2013 at 4:27 am said:

Wow! Fantastic pictures 🙂 I’ve got a thing for raptors; they’re all so beautiful!

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- foresterartist on March 23, 2013 at 7:07 am said:
  
  They are amazing creatures indeed. Always out there and always hunting.
  
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andelieya 安德洌雅 (official) on March 23, 2013 at 8:33 pm said:

Great shots, foresterartist!

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- foresterartist on March 24, 2013 at 3:52 am said:
  
  Thank you Andelieya.
  
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Jana Bouc on March 26, 2013 at 7:58 am said:

Amazing photos of such a regal creature!

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- foresterartist on March 26, 2013 at 8:40 am said:
  
  They are one of my favorites.
  
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greenlightlady on March 26, 2013 at 12:55 pm said:

Tim, he certainly is a “great model” and you’ve done a wonderful job of catching him in is element! He looks so harmless when he is fluffed up… but your first shots teach us better.

Blessings ~ Wendy

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- foresterartist on March 26, 2013 at 8:56 pm said:
  
  I thought he looked less fierce on the pole too Wendy, and you are right it is because he is “fluffed up”. When I took the first pictures I thought it was a mature hawk, until I look at them on the computer I realized it was the young hawk. The little rascal gets around.
  
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Playamart - Zeebra Designs on March 29, 2013 at 4:19 am said:

those are beautiful images!

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- foresterartist on March 29, 2013 at 7:00 am said:
  
  Thanks Z!
  
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bluebrightly on March 30, 2013 at 8:23 pm said:

It’s wonderful to be able to follow a particular individual like that – to have that consistency. And I know you’re a very keen observer. Good thing!

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- foresterartist on March 31, 2013 at 7:28 am said:
  
  Thanks Lynn!
  
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cottageholidaygroup on April 1, 2013 at 3:20 pm said:

Perfect clarity, thank you 🙂

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- foresterartist on April 1, 2013 at 4:39 pm said:
  
  Thank you. 🙂
  
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WordsFallFromMyEyes on April 17, 2013 at 5:40 am said:

So keen eyed – they’re beautiful.

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- foresterartist on April 17, 2013 at 5:46 am said:
  
  I think so too.
  
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goethalsart on April 18, 2013 at 6:36 am said:

Nice pictures of a hawk.Here (Belgium) we don’t have hawks.I enjoyed my time on your blog.Great blog.

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- foresterartist on April 18, 2013 at 9:14 am said:
  
  Thank you so much. I really enjoyed your photography.
  
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