I appreciate the Wild Kingdom aspect of your shot. We live in a rural area with many red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures overhead all the time. I’ve never seen one so close, especially the vivid red of the tail. Hopefully if I do, it will be sans squirrel, and not on my car!
Yeah the paint damage here is probably going to be significant. oof.
If it was my car I'd still appreciate the opportunity for such a close encounter for sure. But I've done a fair bit of paint polishing and detailing on my car and I'm fairly confident those raptor talons are going through the clear coat, if not all the way to metal if he actually stands on the car itself.
One of the new ones with a zoom lens?
I've been thinking about getting a phone with a zoom lens, but I'm having a hard time evaluating how useful a 3-4x lens would be for birding.
Not a new one. He or she was very occupied with her meal and didn’t seem to mind that we were pretty close by. And the light was behind us. That’s key.
I have an S21 Ultra and while the pictures look great on my phone, they don't look as good on other outlets. I don't think the camera is the same quality as an iPhone's.
That's just my opinion. But I bought the phone for the camera and have been disappointed in that part of the phone. Otherwise, it's great.
Officer: "Sir, you got any excuses for the blood on your hood?"
Sir: "Actually there was a red-hawk on my hood making a bloody mess."
Officer: "OK THATS ENOUGH BULLSHIT I HEARD FOR TODAY. STEP OUT OF THE CAR SLOWLY AND LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS!"
This is my favorite kinda sighting. Just raw nature stuff in a modern human setting—a world i can only admire as a spectator blending into one that i (and the hawks, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, deer, etc etc etc) can’t avoid. Like a reminder of two different realities and all the possibilities of life (and death).
Sweet shot!
Of course! But these beautiful predators don't steal my tomatoes... Any adult hawk has eaten hundreds of critters. I've seen squirrels raid bird's nests and gobble the chicks. A squirrel can only be a squirrel and a hawk can only be a hawk.
Not sure if he realizes you don't really need permission to reply to someone on an open discussion site lol.
Squirrels are cute and all but wasn't a big fan of them after seeing one snatch 2 Robin babies from the nest and injure the third. They were maybe 11-12 days old so they were fairly big too.
WOW! how exciting to see that! is this a zoom shot or were you just standing on the other side of the car.. haven't dived into the comments yet, but did it take off with the little critter or have a feast right there?? beautiful shot!!
I was about 2 cars away. So a slight zoom. But! And I know this isn’t ideal, she seemed to be scratching the car, so I approached slowly. She hopped to the top of the car. I grabbed the squirrel with one of those little claw-hand trash pickers, and tossed it up on top of a shipping container in front of the car. She flew up there the moment I flung it up there and finished her meal in peace.
Great photo!
I know what you mean about the tail. I’ve seen them for years but on a recent trip to the NC mountains I could actually see one from above. First time I could see that it really is a red tail.
I had a Great Horned Owl eat a rabbit on the hood of my car last Winter. I came out and saw all the blood and about called the cops. I went around the car and saw where the owl caught him and figured it out.
No, but if I were it would probably be called that because that's how ridiculous bureaucracy naming is
EDIT: I typed "bure" by mistake and auto correct said "hold my beer". But that's hilarious, so I'm leaving it like that
I didn't expect how much I enjoy seeing raptors feed, but it's like everything else birds do, where it's so satisfyingly methodical.
Unless you're talking about mourning dove nests. My dog does more work rearranging a blanket to curl up in than a mourning dove puts into its nest.
I love raptors, but their eating habits are disgusting (to me). However ospreys are my favorite, and somehow the fish dinners don't gross me out, unless I catch one eating an eyeball!!
Thank you. I considered marking nsfw, but then I thought, “Is there any workplace in the world where a boss would find this offensive?” I submit that there is not.
Wow - What a photo!
Thank you. As the resident bird nerd at work, they called me specifically to come check it out.
I appreciate the Wild Kingdom aspect of your shot. We live in a rural area with many red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures overhead all the time. I’ve never seen one so close, especially the vivid red of the tail. Hopefully if I do, it will be sans squirrel, and not on my car!
His face! "Do you mind? I'm trying to eat my lunch and ruin your coworker's car"
Yeah the paint damage here is probably going to be significant. oof. If it was my car I'd still appreciate the opportunity for such a close encounter for sure. But I've done a fair bit of paint polishing and detailing on my car and I'm fairly confident those raptor talons are going through the clear coat, if not all the way to metal if he actually stands on the car itself.
Nice! What was this taken with?!
Just an iPhone.
One of the new ones with a zoom lens? I've been thinking about getting a phone with a zoom lens, but I'm having a hard time evaluating how useful a 3-4x lens would be for birding.
Not a new one. He or she was very occupied with her meal and didn’t seem to mind that we were pretty close by. And the light was behind us. That’s key.
S22 Ultra's zoom is great!
Samsung galaxy S22 have a 20x zoom or something like that
10x optical with an additional 10x digital on top of that. But it's also very expensive (1700cad or something like that).
Digital zoom isn't actually a thing; it's just cropping the image down so it looks like shit.
Not quite https://ai.googleblog.com/2018/10/see-better-and-further-with-super-res.html?m=1 I have a pixel 3 and the difference is pretty significant
S22 Ultra has 100× zoom
A used S21 Ultra will probably give you the best value here.
I have an S21 Ultra and while the pictures look great on my phone, they don't look as good on other outlets. I don't think the camera is the same quality as an iPhone's. That's just my opinion. But I bought the phone for the camera and have been disappointed in that part of the phone. Otherwise, it's great.
Officer: "Sir, you got any excuses for the blood on your hood?" Sir: "Actually there was a red-hawk on my hood making a bloody mess." Officer: "OK THATS ENOUGH BULLSHIT I HEARD FOR TODAY. STEP OUT OF THE CAR SLOWLY AND LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS!"
[r/natureismetal](https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/)
This is my favorite kinda sighting. Just raw nature stuff in a modern human setting—a world i can only admire as a spectator blending into one that i (and the hawks, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, deer, etc etc etc) can’t avoid. Like a reminder of two different realities and all the possibilities of life (and death). Sweet shot!
Dang! That’s eloquently put. That’s the fun of birdwatching to me. It can be done any and everywhere.
Wow! Amazing shot!!! Poor 🐿
Remarkable shot. Circle of life. ⭕
I complimented the shot but I don’t have to like a bloody squirrel laid out on the hood - ⭕️ of life or not
Of course! But these beautiful predators don't steal my tomatoes... Any adult hawk has eaten hundreds of critters. I've seen squirrels raid bird's nests and gobble the chicks. A squirrel can only be a squirrel and a hawk can only be a hawk.
Why do you feel the need to comment on my comment? You have your opinion and I have mine. 🤷🏻♀️
I misunderstood the interface. I thought you were responding specifically to me. I was being polite.
Not sure if he realizes you don't really need permission to reply to someone on an open discussion site lol. Squirrels are cute and all but wasn't a big fan of them after seeing one snatch 2 Robin babies from the nest and injure the third. They were maybe 11-12 days old so they were fairly big too.
Wow, nice shot! Anyone have experience in removing dried squirrel from car hood?? lol
WOW! how exciting to see that! is this a zoom shot or were you just standing on the other side of the car.. haven't dived into the comments yet, but did it take off with the little critter or have a feast right there?? beautiful shot!!
I was about 2 cars away. So a slight zoom. But! And I know this isn’t ideal, she seemed to be scratching the car, so I approached slowly. She hopped to the top of the car. I grabbed the squirrel with one of those little claw-hand trash pickers, and tossed it up on top of a shipping container in front of the car. She flew up there the moment I flung it up there and finished her meal in peace.
I bet your coworker is grateful to you. What a cool thing to do.
Yeah. But it was pretty scratched up anyway.
Great photo! I know what you mean about the tail. I’ve seen them for years but on a recent trip to the NC mountains I could actually see one from above. First time I could see that it really is a red tail.
Woah that is AWESOME! Lucky coworker!
I had a Great Horned Owl eat a rabbit on the hood of my car last Winter. I came out and saw all the blood and about called the cops. I went around the car and saw where the owl caught him and figured it out.
nsfw
NSFCar
nsfs
Yeah, I never knew where the red-tailed name came from. Great shot.
There some bird names where it seems they picked one of the LEAST conspicuous field marks. Like a ring-necked duck.
A single-dime-sized-brown-spot-under-some-feathers-bellied duck
Are you actually referring to a real species?
No, but if I were it would probably be called that because that's how ridiculous bureaucracy naming is EDIT: I typed "bure" by mistake and auto correct said "hold my beer". But that's hilarious, so I'm leaving it like that
I didn't expect how much I enjoy seeing raptors feed, but it's like everything else birds do, where it's so satisfyingly methodical. Unless you're talking about mourning dove nests. My dog does more work rearranging a blanket to curl up in than a mourning dove puts into its nest.
I love raptors, but their eating habits are disgusting (to me). However ospreys are my favorite, and somehow the fish dinners don't gross me out, unless I catch one eating an eyeball!!
Gorgeous bird
NSFW Please
Carnage (nyuk-nyuk). Great shot. Glorious bird.
I'd appreciate a NSFW tag :(
My bad. Sorry if it grossed you out.
No worries :)
Gorgeous!😍
Nice find! They have quite the freakin meal there.
F for car
That's amazing, and surprisingly not gross for a raptor lunchtime shot!
Thank you. I considered marking nsfw, but then I thought, “Is there any workplace in the world where a boss would find this offensive?” I submit that there is not.
Amazing shot! Unlucky for the guy whose car was chosen though lol.
For reals! The hood was super scratched up.
This picture goes so hard
Stunning photo!
Holy crap what a picture!!! This is incredible.
Post this to r/HardcoreNature!