Immature Cooper’s Hawk in an aspen forest – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/500, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Do you remember playing I Spy when you were a child? I do. I thought about that game yesterday while I was up in the Wasatch Mountains and spotted an immature Cooper’s Hawk fly south in front of a hillside and then turn to fly back to land in the aspens on slope.
The young accipiter was a long way from me and this photo of it was taken at the equivalent of 1050mm. I could only see it with my naked eyes because I knew exactly where it landed. Pointing this immature raptor out to other people might have been nothing but pure frustration. There are a lot of aspens there.
My friend Loren Nebeker was parked in front of me where he couldn’t see the bird and my hope was that the immature Cooper’s Hawk would fly in closer to us and allow us to photograph it but the young hawk was more interested in preening. After waiting for more than ten minutes I started my Jeep and went down the road to look for more birds.
Yesterday evening as I worked on this photo to share I wondered if playing the I Spy game with birds as the subject might get more children into birding while they are outside. I’m sure at some point in my life the subject of I Spy games I played was a bird. I might even have done that with my sons.
Parleys Canyon Fire
Going up into the mountains yesterday took a toll on me emotionally as I drove past the burn scars in Parleys Canyon. There were spots where the fire licked the shoulder of I-80. Seeing the burned Gambel’s Oaks, conifers, wildlife fencing, and more did cause me to blink back the tears that formed in my eyes as I drove up to the summit.
I know that fire can rejuvenate but it is still hard to see the destruction that the fire caused.
I could not photograph the burn scars because I was driving and pulling over to take photos in the emergency lane isn’t an any kind of emergency.
The rest of the morning…
I enjoyed a very peaceful drive through the mountain canyons. It was quiet and extremely relaxing even though I saw far fewer birds than I had hoped to. On the way down from the mountains I decided to take my time and explore a canyon that I had never been in before and I am happy that I did. The canyon was lush with trees, shrubs, and green foliage and that was precisely what I needed after seeing the burn scars from the wildfire.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Cooper’s Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.
I hear you on those tear inducing fire scars. And thank you for the I Spy diversion.
Yes, pointing it out to someone who had not seen it fly to that location would have been frustrating. Great camouflage. Thanks for bringing back memories of I Spy games!