My Hawk Encounter

by Karen Wiles

Title

My Hawk Encounter

Artist

Karen Wiles

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

MY HAWK ENCOUNTER by KAREN WILES
At my home on the coast of North Carolina, I frequently photograph nature in my own backyard. I was photographing blooming dahlias when this amazing hawk landed in the tree beside me about 10 feet away. You can imagine my jaw dropping gasp, as a photographer, I dream of getting this close to wildlife and I actually had the camera all set to go within one quick grasp... He appeared to be curious as to what I had in my hands with the big eye. I spent about an hour with this beautiful bird, a juvenile red-shouldered hawk capturing images within my own backyard, which I love, thus my amazing "HAWK ENCOUNTER!"
Red-shouldered hawks soar and circle with wings and tail spread out like a typical buteo hawk, but they also flap their wings quickly and glide through forests underneath the canopy, the way an accipiter such as Cooper's Hawk does. When hunting, they perch near a wooded water body and watch for their prey to appear below them. In populated areas, such as forested suburban developments, they can become very unconcerned and approachable by people, but in wilder areas they flush easily. On their territories, Red-shouldered Hawks are aggressive, sometimes locking talons with intruding hawks and also attacking crows, Great Horned Owls, and even humans. As a mating display, the male enacts a sky dance in which he soars while calling, then makes a series of steep dives toward the female, climbing back up in wide spirals after each descent, before finally rapidly diving to perch upon the female's back.

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November 13th, 2014

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