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Hawk got a Western Tanager

Activity in our backyard isn't always fun to see! A Coopers Hawk caught a Western Tanager

Activity in our backyard isn't always fun to see! A Coopers Hawk caught a Western Tanager
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May, 2015

Views

732

Likes

+57

Awards

Contest Finalist in Food Chain Struggles Photo Contest

Peer Award

+13

Absolute Masterpiece

Magnificent Capture

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Superior Skill

All Star

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 3

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo in my back yard.For several weeks we had enjoyed seeing the beautiful a Western Tanagers coming to our bird feeders. The hawks, mostly Cooper’s hawks come periodically to catch the smaller birds. Usually the smaller birds leave when they sense a hawk. I just happened to look outside to see this horrible site! This beautiful Tanager didn’t fly away fast enough!

Time

I do not remember the time of day probably in the morning.

Lighting

The photo was taken in the shadow of a tree. Just the natural lighting in my back yard, nothing artificial.

Equipment

I used a Nikon D300 on a tripod. The lens was a Nikkor 80-400mm.

Inspiration

I was sad and at the same time happy to get this amazing picture. This is nature in all it’s brutality. One species eats and another dies. The tanagers migrate through our area only in early May so we don’t have a long time in which to enjoy their beauty, and put out grape jelly and oranges for them. The tanager appears to be looking at me, perhaps asking why? To me if the hawk got a less colorful bird it wouldn’t have been such a sad and somewhat upsetting picture.

Editing

I do not remember specifically what post processing I did. Very likely some cropping in Lightroom but other than that it really didn’t need any.

In my camera bag

For years I have been a Nikon shooter, Nikon D300 and D810, and Nikkor lenses. Recently I have been using Sony a7RIII and Sony RX10 IV.

Feedback

Backyard birding combined with photography can be a very rewarding experience. The variety of birds one sees are more easily identified from a photo. Just be prepared,camera and tripod at the ready. Capturing a photo such as this one was a very lucky coincidence.

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Hawk got a Western Tanager

Activity in our backyard isn't always fun to see! A Coopers Hawk caught a Western Tanager

Behind The Lens

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