Post your Raptors

C

Carroll

Senior Member
Taken at Truman Dam Visitor's Center "Overlook", at Warsaw, Missouri. I realize Turkey Vulture's (Buzzards) are technically not classified as Raptors, but as Birds Of Prey. However, I thought that Raptor admirers might appreciate the soaring capabilities of this Bird. A really good looking UGLY bird, that bats clean-up.

As I was taking their photos (lots), perhaps I was viewed as a possible smelly object by 6-8 of these really BIG birds, and they would swoop past me at about 10 to 20 feet...out in the air, with the several hundred foot drop-off immediately in front of me. Kind of startling now and then. Now that I think about it, maybe they thought/hoped I was going to jump...major feast! LOL

More info:
The Raptor Trust » Vultures
Truman Dam / Visitors Center | Warsaw, Missouri City Government!


View attachment 132240
 
R

rwingsfan

Senior Member
Ozarkite said:
Taken at Truman Dam Visitor's Center "Overlook", at Warsaw, Missouri. I realize Turkey Vulture's (Buzzards) are technically not classified as Raptors, but as Birds Of Prey. However, I thought that Raptor admirers might appreciate the soaring capabilities of this Bird. A really good looking UGLY bird, that bats clean-up.

As I was taking their photos (lots), perhaps I was viewed as a possible smelly object by 6-8 of these really BIG birds, and they would swoop past me at about 10 to 20 feet...out in the air, with the several hundred foot drop-off immediately in front of me. Kind of startling now and then. Now that I think about it, maybe they thought/hoped I was going to jump...major feast! LOL

More info:
The Raptor Trust » Vultures
Truman Dam / Visitors Center | Warsaw, Missouri City Government!


View attachment 132240
Click to expand...

Most of ours move down your way in winter. They are a interesting bird. During summer we ride our motorcycles out to our reservoir and it is nothing to see 30-75 of these guys riding the thermals off the dam.
 
D

dh photography

Senior Member
DHP_5301.jpg
 
Marilynne

Marilynne

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Ozarkite said:
Taken at Truman Dam Visitor's Center "Overlook", at Warsaw, Missouri. I realize Turkey Vulture's (Buzzards) are technically not classified as Raptors, but as Birds Of Prey. However, I thought that Raptor admirers might appreciate the soaring capabilities of this Bird. A really good looking UGLY bird, that bats clean-up.

As I was taking their photos (lots), perhaps I was viewed as a possible smelly object by 6-8 of these really BIG birds, and they would swoop past me at about 10 to 20 feet...out in the air, with the several hundred foot drop-off immediately in front of me. Kind of startling now and then. Now that I think about it, maybe they thought/hoped I was going to jump...major feast! LOL

More info:
The Raptor Trust » Vultures
Truman Dam / Visitors Center | Warsaw, Missouri City Government!


View attachment 132240
Click to expand...

Nice to see it from this view Carroll. My shots are usually taken from below.
 
R

rwingsfan

Senior Member
Here are a few of my favorite guy from around my house. He lets me get fairly close most the time. He even sits on my deck from time to time (the sparrows love that). Hopefully he continues to trust me.
 

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R

rwingsfan

Senior Member
Look who was just terrorizing my feeders. Even has a guilty look on his face. Shot with the my Nikon 1 V2. Had to be quick before he took another death dive
 

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Y

YOT

Senior Member
In April of last year, just before I upgraded from the Coolpix, this hawk was hunting the field in front of my house. It did some high-wire acrobatics to change it's view.

Hawk 01.jpg

Hawk 02.jpg

Hawk 03.jpg
 
S

Stoshowicz

Senior Member
I know there's often disagreement on the coopers sharpie thing, but if you note how the brown breast spotting fades out as you pan down , and that those spots have a narrow teardrop shape, which do not (to me) appear to broaden out to bands on the individual feathers towards the flanks, it probably a lean young coopers hawk.
I know the plumages are similar, the spotting on a sharpie trends a tad more broad and ends a tad more abruptly. The head trends to look a bit rounder , more like a pigeon.
 
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R

rwingsfan

Senior Member
I would tend to agree but the legs are far to "stick-like" to be a Cooper's for my liking. They are very hard to distinguish especially in captures sometimes. Either way a beautiful young bird.
 
R

rwingsfan

Senior Member
Here is a fellow I have been looking after for some time. Sure wish he would let me get closer :(
 

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