Close Encounter with a Red-Tailed Hawk

This encounter is the closest I have ever been to a Red-Tailed Hawk and the best view I've had of one eating. I was walking on the same trail where I have had a couple of other close encounters. This time I was really fortunate to even have noticed it because it was basically at ground level on a log, surrounded by an environment that it blended into very well. The truth is, I don't remember if it was a sound or the shape of the bird that I detected first. All I know is in an instant, I was aware that the hawk was just up the trail.

I started shooting and cautiously moved forward. I could see that it was eating something and that whatever it had was a fairly good sized meal. After shooting only for a minute or so, I heard voices coming down the trail from the other direction. I figured my time was about up with the hawk as I snapped a few shots. Instead, the hawk watched them carefully, apparently unwilling to leave its meal. The people walked by unaware of the hawk, but stopped to speak to me. By now I was changing cards, as I had filled up the space I had available on the first one. After a brief conversation, I moved up closer to the hawk since it was not ready to fly off.

Eventually I was able to move up the hill so that I was shooting down toward the hawk. Several more hikers passed me, some noticing the hawk I was shooting, others ignoring me altogether and not seeing the hawk. I was pretty close by now. As close as I would dare to get to an animal while it was eating and closer than I had ever hoped I could get. I was quickly running out of time and would have to leave soon, when I heard another hawk. This was the angry call that I heard last spring when I saw some fledglings and the parents were not too happy about the hikers who were walking through the area.

At the time, I was not sure if the cry was directed at me or the dining hawk. I soon realized it was directed at the hawk, because as I headed back up the trail to my car I saw three Red-Tailed Hawks swooping after each other and calling that same call. It was a battle over territory, and not a beef with the photographer.