Who's Stalking Who?

Most birders go out “in the wild” to view their subjects.   I merely look out my window.  Birders patiently (or impatiently) wait hours for that brief moment to see their subjects.  In my case, the moments come to me.  Often, an encounter begins when Jacuzzi lands on my deck.  Whenever I see Jacuzzi, Jack, or both hawks together, I try to capture these moments.   What I first thought were chance encounters are now regular sightings.   

In the early days, after I spotted them, I’d “stalk” out onto the deck or into the yard, hiding while being careful to give them space.  My lens takes me closer, so I don’t need to be hyper close to get good photos.  Sometimes, I'm lucky to already be in the yard when I spot them.  Here, Jacuzzi is hunting on the ground for worms.

My Watch

Soon, my so-called “stalk” became simply “my watch.”  There’s no point in being stealthy.   A raptor’s vision is so perceptive that it’s futile to hide.  They spot me every time.  Rather than be stealthy, I make myself visible while staying still, so I don’t startle them.  In particular, Jacuzzi recognizes me and knows I’m no threat.  She looks at me, and then looks PAST me.  I am part of her landscape.  That’s how it should be between birds of prey and humans.

I have a unique bond with her, forged from respect, distance, and experience.  As you see in this photo, when I observe her, she observes me, too.  Jacuzzi and Jack know me specifically.  Given the many times they watched me photograph them, I think they have camera envy.   

Too often in our busy world, we ignore the simple pleasure of looking or being outside.  Each experience I’ve had with these Red-shouldered Hawks has been fascinating.  Time stands still.  It comes down to just me watching them.  It is “my watch.”  I cherish that time.  And I especially love those times when I am the one who leaves first, rather than watch them fly away.

Who's Who?

It took time— and comparisons of my many photos— but I can identify Jacuzzi and Jack just from sight.  Notice in this photo they’re perched a wingspan apart, in case either needs to take off quickly.  

As the female, Jacuzzi (right) is larger, has a broader chest, plus a bigger and wider head.  Jack’s chest feathers, described by birders as rufous for their reddish-brown color, are more saturated than Jacuzzi’s.  The back of Jack’s crown/head ends in a slight tuft or crest, like Blue Jays and Cardinals.  This is not typical of a Red-shouldered Hawk, so it makes Jack stand out.  His throat is a more pale color than Jacuzzi’s throat.  Jack’s superciliary ridges (or what I call eyebrows) are pale, while Jacuzzi’s are not.  These pale ridges really distinguish Jack from Jacuzzi.

When flying overhead, Jacuzzi’s wing is far deeper than Jack’s from front to back.  When flying overhead, Jacuzzi’s longer and wider tail shows 4 white stripes, called bands, while Jack has just 3.  This then means Jacuzzi’s tail has 3 brown bands, while Jack’s only has 2. 

I’m able to capture my hawk moments because I’m ready with a fast shutter speed (1/1,00th second or faster) and narrow aperture (f10 or f13 or even more for detail).  It takes quick reflexes and fast camera settings to capture fleeting moments.  I’m ready before for the action happens. 

Stay tuned for future Blog posts with more stories and photos about Red-shouldered Hawks!