Hawk

All posts tagged Hawk

Courage rides on swift wings carrying our…

Posted by Lee Hiller on November 8, 2017

Posted in: Hot Springs National Park. Tagged: Arkansas Birds, Hawk, Hot Springs National Park, Lee Hiller Photography, Lee Hiller quotes, Nature Blog, Nature Photography, Photo Blog. Leave a comment

HSNP Raptor in flight across sunrise

Courage rides on swift wings carrying our Spirit forward to meet all challenges. ~ Lee Hiller

Love to ALL!
Lee

A Red-Tailed Hawk Emerges From It’s Nest For A Chat

Posted by Lee Hiller on July 13, 2015

Posted in: Hot Springs National Park. Tagged: Arkansas Birds, Hawk, Hiking, Hiking Trails, Hot Springs National Park, Nature Blog, Nature Photography, Nesting Hawk, Photo Blog, Photography, Raptor, Red-Tailed Hawk. 2 Comments

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My husband and I were finishing our hike early this morning when we heard a Hawk call. I often reply as the Red-Tailed Hawk as is the only call I have mastered to a small degree. In this case it turned out to be a Blue Jay pinging the avian network to see if there was a Hawk in the area. A nice trick to make sure the Forest is clear for small bird flight. Why Blue Jays imitate Hawks

At the bottom of the hill a fellow hiker was staring up into a Tree. We slowed down to avoid scaring whatever she was viewing. There was a large nest up in the pine with an equally large bird rustling around. There was a debate as to Owl or Hawk until I got a look through my lens.

Yes, it was irresistible and I tried out my Hawk call skills. After a couple of tries it hopped onto the branch above the nest. Scanned the sky then began grooming. Another call and it look right at me with a direct but curious stare. After an extended 15 plus minutes photo shoot we left for home. These are my first close-up Hawk photos…

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

: HSNP Red-Tailed ‪‎Hawk Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

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The squirrel leaping and robins in take off mode were captured the morning of my water photos for Blogging U #photo101 – Water and Orientation. Since then I have been thinking I needed to blog about the energy of motion in wildlife. Thankfully motion has turn my thoughts into action. The slideshow is a before and after showing the flow of energy in multiple beings.

The one that got away during lift off, leaping, running, flight etc. Elements of energy when photographing wildlife can represent both beauty and frustration. Wanting desperately to capture the perfect shot before they disappear and instead you only have their vanishing act. Perfection for me is both elements of energy. Building energy seen a crouch or expression of imminent flight followed by an explosion of energy in the lift off, leap or rapid turn.

Birds often provide both the still and motion blur on take off or during landing. Their wings and or legs becoming an independent focal element from the rest of their body. The strength of House Sparrows from the blog Street Fighters Flipping the Bird or their mating grace Happy Spring 2014 – Sparrows Dance of Life. A Pine Warbler dive bombing a White Throated Sparrow on a snowy trail. Elegant stretch of the wing by a Mourning Dove and the power wing extension of a Hawk.

Note the powerful reaction and energy in the robin barely out of the nest on take off. The force of wing action of both the juvenile Mockingbird and Pileated Woodpecker. Even the tiny fawn spins around with speed and rotation. The young use the energy to ensure their survival.

The only time I have been flustered photographing birds up close was early on during a morning hike. I was photographing the bark on a nearby Tree and a Vulture landed in frame. It was a huge surprise wings open as it came up from the Forest floor. I cannot imagine how it maneuvered in the close confines of the Forest. There I was close-up with my old Sony Cybershot in the drizzle looking a this massive bird. Did you know they build ground nests?

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Squirrel

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Squirrel

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Cedar Waxwing

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Cedar Waxwing

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Juvenile Robin

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Juvenile Robin

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Baby Robin

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Baby Robin

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Young Whitetail Deer

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Young Whitetail Deer

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Blue Jay

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Blue Jay

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Blue Jay

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Bluebird

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Bluebird

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Whitetail Deer Doe

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Whitetail Deer Doe

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Turkey Vulture

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Turkey Vulture

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Juvenile Pileated Woodpecker

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Juvenile Pileated Woodpecker

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Whitetail Deer Fawn

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Whitetail Deer Fawn

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Juvenile Mockingbird

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Juvenile Mockingbird

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Pine Siskin

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Pine Siskin

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Red Shouldered Hawk

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Red Shouldered Hawk

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Red Shouldered Hawk

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Pine Warbler

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Pine Warbler

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Mating House Sparrows

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Mating House Sparrows

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Yellow Rumped Warbler

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Yellow Rumped Warbler

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Fighting House Sparrows

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Fighting House Sparrows

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Fighting House Sparrows

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Mourning Dove

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Mourning Dove

: #Photo101 Energy and Motion – Mourning Dove

Soaring Above the Rainforest of Hot Springs National Park

Posted by Lee Hiller on May 14, 2015

Posted in: Hot Springs National Park. Tagged: Arkansas Birds, Arkansas Wildlife, Bird of Prey, Hawk, Hot Springs National Park, Nature Blog, Nature Photography, Photo Blog, Photography, Raptor, Red-Tailed Hawk. Leave a comment

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Fear is a cage of the mind. Let love set you free to soar beyond its bars. ~ Lee Hiller

Love to ALL!
Lee

: HSNP Red-Tailed Hawk

: HSNP Red-Tailed Hawk

: HSNP Red-Tailed Hawk

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This hike started on the Sunset Trail on Sugarloaf Mountain and ended along the promenade on Hot Springs Mountain. My husband Rick and I were going to hike up Sugarloaf Mountain on the Sunset Trail (Section 2) to see the “Balanced Rock” but the trail had too many weather ruts and loose rocks for his newly healed ankle. We decided instead to head down and pick up the Sunset Trail (Section 1 aka Stonebridge Road Section) on the old Fordyce Estate at the Cedar Glades Road trail head.

It was a beautiful hike along the trails as the early morning sun lit our way. There were wonderful wildflowers I had not seen on other trails in Hot Springs National Park, they included Slender Bush-Clover, Rough Buttonweed, Goldenrod and Drummond’s St. John’s-Wort. Rick spotted a young Male Box Turtle moving slowly across the barely groomed trail, he had a lovely colorful face. Flying Grasshoppers sprung up from the trail with each step forward, some had yellow wings others black with white edges. Although the Bird song was varied and loud they were tantalizingly out of sight high the the Forest canopy. As we finished our hike on the Sunset Trail a Sharp Shinned Hawk flew over us and toward Sugarloaf Mountain… to be continued.

I adore hiking on rough trails and always mange to navigate my way to my intended destination, even when the trails are not well marked. However it may not appeal to hikers intending to complete a trail in a specified time frame to keep back tracking. If you are planning to hike section 1 of the Sunset Trail (see Map below) contact me, the trail is unmarked in many key spots. Several trails not mentioned on maps take you off the Sunset and away from the trail head that connects to section 2 of the Sunset Trail. I left an arrow marker made from sticks but that could easily be disturbed by weather and wildlife. The red circle slash markers on the official HSNP map below refer to the access road that cuts across the old Fordyce Estate not the trail forks mentioned in my blog.

Much Love to ALL,
Lee

Note to Park Staff (if you are still reading my blog):
Please add trail markers so hikers can stay on course if they are hiking the entire Sunset Trail. It is particularly confusing below the concrete water reservoir at the 3 trail fork (not on the official map below), the one going straight leads away from the trail head, hikers need to stay left. The red circle slash markers on the map below refer to the access road that cuts across the old Fordyce Estate not the trail forks mentioned. One off the forks another leading away from the trail head has a storm ravaged abandoned homeless camp you may want to clean up as it is located in the middle of the trail.

A quarter mile in from Cedar Glades Road trail head on Section one of the Sunset Trail we spotted a pack of feral dogs being lead by a large grey pitbull. Although they ran from us, you might want to get them off the trail before there is an unfortunate incident with a hiker and a leashed dog.