Friday, February 16, 2007

On the Way to Target

Inspired by Mary's Valentine's Day Poem, I grabbed my camera as I ran out the door to do some Target shopping. I spied what I think is an immature red-tailed hawk on a phone line along a busy highway. I took a quick right off the highway (insert Batman music), did a couple of U-turns, and parked sideways in a lot across the highway from this beauty and started snapping away.

She posed so nicely, minding her own business, hunting the highway median. I could hear the crows but I was so focused on watching the hawk through my camera's view screen.
Whoa! This is my very favorite accidentally cool picture!!

No, it's not Photoshopped.

She flew down to the median to escape the crows and I got a good long look at her. The crows perched on the wires but would not follow her to the ground. After a bit she flew off with the crows in pursuit. She tipped in the air and snatched her talons at them twice and then left for a more peaceful hunting ground.

Mary is right. It pays to take your camera.

17 comments:

Jayne said...

What a cool photo Lynne! Thanks for sharing!

Mary said...

HOT DAMN! YOU'RE MY KIND OF GAL, LYNNE! GO FOR IT! I catch most of my shots cruising in my batmobile with the camera by my side.

LOL! Great hawk shots!

Anonymous said...

Way to go Lynne! Love the action with the crow (that is such a great shot)! I would hate to be the one with those talons snapping at me!

Anonymous said...

Awesome Lynne! Don't you just love those "accidental" photos that turn out to be the most fav!!
It sure does pay to bring your camera - yay!! I can't wait to see the photos you capture at Cape May!

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Jayne- Thanks, it was right place, right itme.

Mary- Whooey! You were my inspiration!

Mon@rch- Snapping talons are the things of nightmares!

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Pam- I didn't really even realize how cool that pic was until I loaded it into my laptop. Did you see the Cape May ticker on Susan's blog?

LauraHinNJ said...

Neat series of pics, Lynne!

I love to spot red-tails this way, but never have the luck to get a good pic.

Susan Gets Native said...

Right on, raptor watcher!
Action shots are so rare that it rocks hard when you get one. Anyone can get a picture of an RT just sitting there.
WHOOT!!!!!
Glad you like my ticker. How long before we all get tired of looking at it?

Ruth said...

The crow/hawk combo is surreal! You should have a contest to title it. (It reminds me of one of my daughter's CD covers which contains music I don't understand.)
Ruth

Deb said...

Great pics! My kids think I'm crazy when I slow down or pull over to look at birds. And my roads are probably not as busy as yours.

HellZiggy said...

It pays to take your camera.

Tell me about it! I left mine at home this morning...
We had a bald eagle in the tree across from the pond at work today. d'oh!

~Other Sharon

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Laura- Thanks, I was luckily able to pull off the road to watch.

Susan- I was afraid you were going to comment that I was wrong in my id. The picture is 100% luck, 0% skill.

Ruth- That's a good idea!

Deb- This hawk was on HWY 81 in Crystal- pretty heavy traffic. My kids, being teens, just roll their eyes when I pull over!

Hellziggy- You had a bald eagle at work? Too Cool! From now on you will wear your camera around your neck 24/7!!!

Susan said...

What a great of photo of the crow & the hawk!

Anonymous said...

What a good shot!

Larry said...

That Crow looks eery heading towards the hawk-It looks like a phantom Crow.-Nice Capture!

wolf21m said...

I need some accidental shots like that!

Anonymous said...

Love those shots!
the lesson, I suppose is that if you keep photographing nature, anything can wind up in your viewfinder!
As with Mary's post on the Cedar Waxwings, you have inspired me to get busy with my camera now that it is spring here in NY state!