Broad-winged Hawk Searching for Lunch



I went to the Skokie Lagoons today to do some bird photography, 
which is something that I haven't done for nearly a month (mainly
 because of weather and schoolwork). I was wandering along the 
banks of the Lagoon with a telephoto lens in a lightly wooded area 
when I noticed a large hawk perched on a broken tree about ten yards away. 
The hawk was obviously distracted by something on the ground, and after 
a few minutes it dived into the grass with a thump and began furiously pecking 
at something.


Usually I've only been able to photograph hawks at a distance, so this 
was a rare and somewhat terrifying opportunity. After the hawk noticed 
me, it flew to a few different trees to keep a wary eye on me. One trick I 
used that works with pretty much all birds to keep them from flying away
 is taking photos from behind a tree or shrub. After a while it looked as 
thought the hawk was getting irritated by me so I quickly walked away.

Winnetka
Taken in April 2012

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