After I got back from my Furman photo trip this morning, I found the light almost perfect for photographing the hawks across the street. This morning they were quite active, and one of the parents returned to feed them. In the spirit of Mother’s Day, I caught a couple of tender hawk family shots as they shared morsels of semi-digested rodent.
With the mother not there, the chicks were quite active. A brisk breeze rocked the tree, and with each gust, one of the chicks would stand and flap wildly, as if they really wanted to fly. A close view of the feathers shows that they’re not quite ready, but it won’t be long.
This process always amazes me. These birds are way up in the air. To be able to step off into nothingness and expect to fly is something I could never fathom.
This final shot shows a somewhat normal view of the nest, not telescopically enhanced. Taken from the exact same spot, this was shot with a 90 mm lens (effective 135 mm with my camera) instead of an effective 3000 mm lens.
