You watching ME? (face-to-hawk face)

I took a very short trip back to the Vic Fazio/Yolo Bypass Wildlife Refuge this morning at dawn. I had no photography planned for this weekend so the urge just smacked me upside the head. Less than 20 minutes from home, this large wetlands is home or a stopping place for millions of birds. (It is also the stopping place for some of their bodies if they fly over the ‘hunting permitted’ area but I digress – as usual.)

There’s almost always a vehicle or 20 in there so some of the resident wildlife seems to have reached a state of detente with humans and their noisy, smelly, intrusive means of transportation. I should have realized that when I drove over a Savannah Sparrow who was too busy to be bothered with moving as my van straddled his tiny brave self. (See elsewhere in my gallery) So, I came prepared with my 2-ton, 6.5 foot tall white van, knowing I would just blend in to the environment. Sounds asinine except look at this shot.

Last time, I got out of the van and did the sloooooooooow creep/walk to get within good shooting range of a hawk. Worked about as well as inviting it to dinner at a pool party: one annoyed look at me and gone when I was more than 100 yards away but in plain sight. Spot a nice big guy this time and roll down the window halfway as I drive past (about 100 yards again) and head into the opposite side of the parking lot where he’s perched on a very low sign. Turn around and aim the van as if I’m going to pass within about 10 feet of the bird, take my foot off the gas, and let it slowly idle forward at about 3 mph. Take a deep breath because I know this makes no sense, brace the barrel of the Nikon D80’s 70-300mm lens in the corner between the windowsill and the window, and “stalk” my prey. Well, what the [censored]!

Would you believe I had to hit the brakes of I might have gotten too close to shoot it telephoto? His back was to me and I know hawks can’t see directly behind their heads but the old boy just glanced at me a couple times and sat there – less than 15 feet away. I was afraid to turn off the van or even set the park brake so I shifted into neutral and waited for him to turn around. And waited. And waited. Cars are now gathering in the opening of the lot watching this little spectacle and I STILL waited for more than a casual glance over the shoulder! I got at least 50 shots of the back of his head thinking he’d HAVE to at least get curious but noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I turned off the van and said “turn around”. Nada, and I don’t know how to say it in hawkese. I snapped my fingers. Nada. Now I thinking I have the only deaf rapture on the planet and I can’t get a shot of his freakin’ face!

I don’t know how to whistle. Could be the lips, tongue, or lack of coordination. Who knows? But I managed a weak ‘tweet” and the damned bird probably thought I brought him BraveHeart Savannah Sparrow for a snack so he turned around and this is what I saw. Slightly less than curiousity, slightly more than boredom… If a hawk can raise an eyebrow, this one did it. He remained facing me until I finished taking a score of portraits then turned back the other way as if I was the last thing on his mind. I think I was because he didn’t bother to turn and say ‘goodbye’ when I started the van and drove off.

As I was leaving, there was a line of cars waiting to drive by. I can’t decide whether I hope he was annoyed or proud to be pestered. Beautiful, powerful, majestic, brave, damned birdbrain.

PS Finally figured out what he is. This is a juvenile Red-tailed tailed Hawk. It was hard for me to ID him because the juveniles don’t have red tails yet. _{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}~
The Bucket List:
Nikon D80
70-300mm lens
f-stop: 5.6
Exposure 1/320
Metering mode: pattern
Focus setting for wide and dynamic (in case it moved)
Auto focus setting was continuous at first then single servo to save batteries
due east
No birds were injured in this photography session.
No tripod; I used a 2.5 ton white elephant instead
Shot on full auto (I know but I was somewhat rattled, ya know?)
Can’t tell if it’s male or female. Had a bad attitude so it must have been…
Enlargement courtesy Adobe PaintShop Elements 3
Yes, I took my meds.
Yes, I took them on time.
Gas was $2.11 so idling the van didn’t seem like a HUGE waste of money.
Yes, I had my seatbelt on, driving blindly forward while staring at a stubborn bird. Do you think I’m nuts or what? >:-/