Red-Tailed Hawk w/dinner

When I was out hunting, happened to notice this other hunter who's hunt had went better than mine...




^More like Red Squirrel-Tailed Hawk

I got a little too close and he took off. But got a few more from the new location...



Ruffling up his feathers. Must have been good!

Thanks everyone!

So many hawks I have come across while hunting, but rarely do I ever get any close up shots. When they don't know I am there first (which is usually the case) the slightest movement often sends them flying. But this guy was preoccupied and was being pretty photogenic. I can't remember how close he let me come, maybe 20-30 yards.

Ray - That was taken with my 8MP Canon S5 that has a 12x lens with an equivalent 36-432mm zoom. It was a great camera for a p&s I've since upgraded this year to my first dSLR but dont have many pics on it yet.

Ray, the Canon Powershots were great cameras. The S5 was from the powershot line too, it was the 'superzoom' powershot. Think it was '07 I got it and it wasnt until just a few months ago that it was bumped to my #2. I also had the S1 when it came out, several years before that. The articulated screen and ability to take video was the main feature that originally attracted me to the powershots, and also the main reason I kept with them for so long instead of upgrading to dSLR.

Here is my baby that served me so well over the years...



The little point-n-shoot that tried so hard to be an slr! I had all sorts of accessories, many seen here. Aluminum lens extension tube threaded for 58mm filters, a bunch of filters, sun hood, and macro lens. The camera survived a lot, even being run over by my F350! At first I had the canon plastic lens tube extension and a canon UV filter for protection, and when I ran over it that one day it cracked the UV lens (served its purpose wonderfully) and the extension, along with another filter I had in the bag. Luckily I had the bag packed solidly full, with my canon S1 in it, battery charger, all metal tripod... I'm sure thats what saved it. The only permanent damage to the camera was the flash unit, and a crack through that extends to where the 'Canon' logo used to be on the front of the flash (the crushing force popped it off).