Close Encounter with a Red-shouldered Hawk
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Just cruising around Everglades City in my birding mobile 😎. In front of me without warning, a Red-shouldered Hawk crossed my path within feet at eye level. I slammed on the brakes, grabbed my camera, and got this full frame shot of it already landed on the tree to my left.
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Red-shouldered Hawk
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With our sudden close proximity, the hawk shifted to another branch that had some shading. I backed up slowly, then pulled forward left to better my angle, plus get a little closer. I was so glad to get rid of that harsh afternoon sun!
It was breezy, so I shot a series to try to get the hawk with as little or no sunlight on it from the shading of moving branches.
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Red-shouldered Hawk
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Red-shouldered Hawk
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The hawk was so cooperative, I couldn’t believe it. I was still worried with the lighting, so I backed up slowly again and pulled forward more left and was now sitting face to face, shooting through my golf cart’s opened front window.
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Red-shouldered Hawk
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Red-shouldered Hawk
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“Kissed by the Sun”
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And with those last shots, I expressed my thanks, backed up slowly, and U-turned away, leaving the hawk to its mission…..and probably wondering, what the heck was that?! 😊
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Photos by Donna 
You are having a most lucky bird week! These photos are amazing!!
Thank you, Lisa! I am having a great time!!
Fantastic captures!
Thank you, Cindy!
Nice shots!
Thank you, David!
You captured some amazing details of the hawks’s feathers and eyes. Super job. 😊👏
Thank you, Irene! How wonderful this hawk was to give me a couple minutes at such a close proximity. Of course, it did come to me! 😉
Absolutely stunning images, Donna! What a wonderful gift this sighting was.
Thank you, Deborah! I was cruising along at at good clip, to think I almost hit it! 🥴 Someone wanted its photo taken, lucky me!!
Indeed! You and your birdmobile are on fire! 😀
Wow! Just wow!
Thanks, Susan! I’m glad I didn’t run into it with my golf cart! lol
Those are fabulous close-ups, Donna. The North of USA is so cold that more birds must be deciding to leave and migrate. Take care! 🙂
Thank you, HJ, that’s better for me! Come on down, birdies!! 😉
What a beautiful bird! Great photos Donna, I really love the detail in the close ups of the hawk’s face, absolutely stunning, fantastic captures.
Thank you, Sue! It was a wonderful encounter and the hawk was so cooperative, I was so lucky!
Amazing photos, and the shades of colour and the patterns in the plumage are lovely!
Thank you, Liz! They do have beautiful coloring. 🙂
Excellent captures, Donna. 🙂
Thank you, Jane!
Fabulous close-up photos Donna. Well done! It was possibly trying to work out where your golf clubs were! 😉
Thank you, Mike! Oh, but I do not own any golf clubs. My camera is my iron! 😉
My goodness, you are having quite a “bird week”! 😀
Luck is surely on my side! 😀
It is not really my way, but your golf shots was great. I do hope the other cars was out of the way….
I prefer to walk the preserves, but here where we’re camping is a remote small fishing town (one road in/out,population 500) with no traffic. Not even a commercial chain store! So I like to boogie around and ride alongside the river to enjoy the weather for a change of pace. If a bird appears, it makes the golf cart ride that much nicer! (i.e., hummingbirds!) I’ve met a lot of nice people too, everyone loves my Margaritaville golf cart. 😉
Il semblait qu’il aimait poser pour vous 🙂 Beaux plans rapprochés.
Merci Rudi, ça semble comme ça, hein?! 🤗
Gorgeous captures, Donna.
Thank you, Isabel!
Wow, Donna, what a beautiful clode encountere to get such amazing close ups, well done!
Thank you, Ashley, it was definitely a close encounter, wow! 😊
Thank you for bringing us these wonderful, incredible (but true) photos! The best ever of a Red-shouldered Hawk.
Thank you very much, Hien, I was in the right place right time crossing paths with this beauty!
Simply marvelous Donna, sitting still for those shots was awfully nice of him
Thank you, Eddie, it really was, wasn’t it!! I did say a ‘thank you’ before backing up and away. 😊
Yes you did Donna
😊
Great series of images Donna! Love the closeup portraits!
Thank you, Reed! It was a lucky moment for sure!
Wow!! Awesome photos, Donna!! 😍
Thank you, Patty Anne!! I was so lucky!! 😊
Fabulous experience, Donna, and wonderful detailed captures of the Hawk.
Does your bird-mobile beep when you back up?
Thank you, Ellen! No, no back-up beeping, thank goodness, lol.
🙂
Don’t you hate when that happens, they go out of their way to cooperate. 😂😂. Excellent shots.
Yes, we do. 😂 🤣 Thank you, Ted!
Awesone sighting Donna 👍🏻 He stood still for you 😀❗️
Thank you, Al, it was awesome! 🤗
Terrific pictures of the raptor, Donna!!
Thank you, Indira!
woo-hoo! What glorious photos of the red-shouldered hawk, Donna. I enjoyed hearing about your adventure and what a treat to see such intimate details of the hawk.
Thank you, Jet! We crossed paths at the exact right time for sure! 😃
Wow!!! These pictures are amazing, Donna! What a majestic bird, and he couldn’t have picked a better place to perch. You captured so much detail and I love the close-ups. I’ve never seen one in the wild before but there’s a rescued one at our nature center.
Thank you, Barbara! It was amazing, as I was just boogieing along, being happy, and, whoosh, right out in front of me! These kind of encounters are memorable!
Your on a roll Donna! Their all flocking to you!
Keep ’em coming! hehe Thanks Wayne!
Wow, Donna, simply fantastic! What a beautiful bird – and what a great opportunity. Thank you so much for these incredible photographs. 🙂
Thank you, Lisa, it was quite the encounter! I’m not sure who was more surprised, the hawk or me! 🙂
These are great!!
Thank you very much!
Very well rewarding wandering.
I think the birds like my birding mobile and are following me around. 😉
Those are the best sort of birds. 🙂
Those are awesome shots. What lovely brown eyes it has. Beautiful bird. Don’t you just love shots like that, that are practically dropped in your lap?
Thank you, Vic! They are beautiful hawks. And yes, love these type of encounters most definitely!!
Awesome photos! The close-up is amazing!
Thank you, it was a wonderful encounter!
Wow, these are amazing captures, Donna. Gazing into that eye is akin to a spiritual experience, seriously.
Thank you, Eliza, the eyes are so powerful. There’s a quote I like….
“When you look a wild animal in the eye, it’s like catching a glimpse into the soul of nature itself.” ~Paul Oxton
Yes, indeed.
Such a perfect timing! I love these moments🙂
Thank you, Christie! 🙂
Stunning!
Thanks so much, Jo!
What an exciting encounter. The shots are perfectly lit! Beautiful!
Thank you, Belinda! That was the closest I’ve been to a hawk in the wild, it was amazing! 🤗