Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This Red-tail is from a couple of weeks back. My friend and I were birding in San Luis National Wildlife Refuge and nearing the end of one of the auto-routes when we spotted it high in the tree. I was driving and didn’t think I’d get a decent photograph of it because it was on the passenger side of the car/road, and climbing over the console and gear box wasn’t something I wanted to do.
We had the route nearly to ourselves so I thought I’d pull the car caddy-whompus across the road and shoot leaning into the passenger seat. I was able to get several images of it before another car came up and I had to move.
It is striking isn’t it with its white cap and that gaze?
Nikon D300s| Nikkor 200-500mm VR| Lexar Digital Film| PS CC 2015
Circadianreflections Blog 
Wow, great shot under difficult circumstances! Well played. He looks much different than the hawks we have here. It wouldn’t occur to me but I suppose there would be regional variation, wouldn’t there?
Thank you so much Melissa! Neither myself or friend I was birding with had a positive ID for it at the time we were photographing it. Once home we both looked at our books, and images and we talked and feel pretty sure it’s a Red-tailed Hawk morph of some sort. The dark, and light morphs always get me excited, and confused thinking I’m seeing a new. or different hawk to add to my list, but it is exciting seeing the morphs because they do stir up my senses, and excitement because they’re different.
So cool :-)!!!
Thank you Myriam!
Simply beautiful Deborah, fantastic capture
Thank you Harold! You’re doing some fine birding this season! I’ve loved your “in-flight” images of the Osprey.
so regal!
Thank you so much Cybele!
He’s a beauty! Well done, especially from the passenger window, WOW! 🙂
Thank you Donna!
Gorgeous!
Thank you so much Lynn!
Amazing!
🙂
You made it look easy Deborah, that’s a great photo and a majestic bird. Bonus points for using “caddy-whompus” in a sentence 🙂
LOL! Thank you Dan! I can always use Bonus points!