Hawk Eyes

I had a close encounter with a juvy Red-tailed Hawk the other day. Not only was it special to be so close and not disrupt him too much, but to take in the details of this beautiful bird. Had it been optimal conditions, they might have turned out a bit better, but I can't complain of the experience. What I noticed most with this guy was his eyes and the orange ring around the pupil. When he was eying his food, you could read the intensity of his eyes. Take a look at the next photo. I think he is eating an opossum at about 20 feet away. It was overcast so getting the settings right was frustrating!

Feeding Frenzy

So I'm bored out of mind, sitting in my car, waiting for something to happen at a local backwater pull-in. All of a sudden the sky came alive with seagulls in a frenzy for feeding on the shad which happened to be just a few feet away in the shallows. It was awesome as I aimed in any and all directions. I love when that happens!

Vogue

I had a very lengthy session with this Kingfisher, which is quite unusual for these anti-social Fisher-Kings!
He is sharp on his toes though, as I saw a Cooper's Hawk torpedo after him and he managed to maneuver his way away from death.

He preened...


Caught fish...


Took a bath...


Dried off...


And posed with his prize for a sillouette...

Good Grief!

Good Grief!, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

We all prepare for that moment that will happen at any minute. We have our cameras on the ready, settings fixed to the upcoming conditions, ready to fire. We sweep the areas we know that are best known for producing our subjects, all the while, driving carefully as we go. Sometimes, we get into a routine as we visit those same areas and we stumble on a surprise waiting for us that we are kind of blind to in those in-between areas. Here is an example. This guy was just a few yards off the road at an area just a hint past a "good spot". I was looking back at the road. He would have been perfect. I slowly passed him by before I saw him out my passenger side window. I put the car in reverse ever so carefully, but we all know what happened. What was I thinking...They could be anywhere right now, and he was. The grief, the pain, the self abuse...The best I could manage was a grunt so he stopped, but not before hiding behind this tree like Charlie Brown, ruining the shot!

I was schooled by an old buck and paid the price!

Very Lucky Buck

Very Lucky Buck, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

I was driving on a busy highway to my favorite area to look for bucks. I see ahead of me, a buck in the ditch running along a fence line, trying to get in. Luckily, no traffic was approaching him, so I slowed to a crawl and followed. He made his way down a few hundred yards, turned around and ran back the other direction. Still, no traffic. He turned around again a few hundred yards behind me, so I pulled into a driveway, watched for traffic and waited. I was ready to jump out of the car and flag people to slow down if I needed to but I didn't. He came closer, saw my car obstructing his path, then decided to cross the road to safety. Very Lucky Buck! What an impressive rack with 15 tines and one extremely exhausted fellow.

2011 Wildlife Calendar by Peggy Hanna

2011 Wildlife Calendar by Peggy Hanna, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

I am taking orders for the "2011 Wildlife Calendar/Photos by Peggy Hanna"

Here's the technical:
12 page/month+cover. Each month features a different photo shot locally. Each page is 8.5x11" glossy stock & spiral bound. Fully opened measures 11x17".

WHAT YOU GET: 11 Point Buck, 2 different Owls, Wood Ducks, Pheasant Rooster Fight, Portrait of a Fawn, Raccoon Babies, Fox kit, Tree Frog, Chipmunk cheeking acorns, Droptine Buck, Canada Geese posturing.

Here's a preview:


Price: $15.00 local delivery
+$5 shipping for out-of-towners.

Place your orders in comments or thru email. We can work out payment options there.

Thank you for your support!

Spike

Spike, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

A portrait of this young buck in the early morning light.

Maturity

Maturity, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

Not quite a Bruiser, this buck needs at least another year before he can claim his own territory and win fights over does. He can sniff them, just not win their hearts, unless he gets really lucky...
He's pretty good lookin tho...

Making Faces Behind a Bucks Back

Making Faces Behind a Bucks Back, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

I just thought this looked funny!

Spike came up to this guy and nudged him for a bit of play sparring. He obliged...

Tall Tines

Tall Tines, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

I liked this unusually shaped (non-typical) rack, especially the extra tall brow tines. His neck isn't swelled too much, but another week and he should really show that the rut has begun! Note: It looks as if one of his tines was damaged, but its an old wound I think.