This little peregrine falcon looks cute and funny in this photo, but if you look at the talons, you see that he is armed for the hunt. Today didn't go quite as planned, so I'm revisiting Hawk Quest tonight.
FAV FAV FAV! This is an amazing capture! How close were you? How did you get such wonderful clarity and color? I even looked to see what camera you were using and your exif data. Truly spectacular.
Thank you so much! You are far too kind. I have to confess that this was processed a bit, but not much. I was quite close - maybe 20 feet away. Being small, I had no problem with getting down right in front with my little Olympus and letting the men with the big cameras and tripods shoot over my head. There is a handler out of sight of the camera, and you can see the jesses on his legs. I used my 75-300 telephoto the whole morning, and I was pleased with the results. He had just been sprayed with water to keep him cool, and he was preening himself back into proper order when I got this shot. I love the colors in all these birds' feathers. The shadings are so subtle and beautiful.
All of these birds are injured in some way and can't be released into the wild. Hawk Quest has special permission to have them and use them for education. The handlers were very knowledgeable about their birds. Most of them have worked with the group for many years and are passionate about educating people. I learned SO much from them! I also learned a bit about photography in the process, since the shoot was sponsored by one of the local photo stores. Wonderful experience all the way around!
All of these birds are injured in some way and can't be released into the wild. Hawk Quest has special permission to have them and use them for education. The handlers were very knowledgeable about their birds. Most of them have worked with the group for many years and are passionate about educating people. I learned SO much from them! I also learned a bit about photography in the process, since the shoot was sponsored by one of the local photo stores. Wonderful experience all the way around!