Chocolate Bird
At the Berkeley Marina, after a long rain, a special bird arrived. Redtail plumage is wonderfully variable and it is always a treat to see a dark Redtail passing through during migration season.
Resident birds tend to be more glue-footed and less flighty, but migrants are understandably more wary.
I was a long way off, perhaps twice the distance most Redtails are comfortable with, and this RT was clearly more interested in a field devoid of humans. Lesson learned. Don’t assume all birds react in the same way. Pay attention to each individual and act accordingly.
I was glad to look back as I was leaving and see the bird had returned to hunting the area. What a glorious hawk.
Awesome. Every picture is stunning. What a photogenic bird.
December 5, 2012 at 9:38 am
He is indeed glorious. I love the shot where one can see the talons spread wide, ready for anything, although it’s probably because he just took off.
December 5, 2012 at 9:55 am
Beautiful shots. Very interesting – I just saw a dark-colored red-tail yesterday here in Michigan.
December 5, 2012 at 10:50 am
beutiful bird
December 5, 2012 at 2:59 pm
wonderful. I love how you pick up on this birds individuality.
December 5, 2012 at 4:38 pm