first day at work

this is a juvenile red tailed hawk that fledged the morning of this picture. encountering a squirrel for the first time, outside the nest anyway. it’s a picture of wonder. no squirrel’s were harmed during the filming. these juveniles spend a lot of time on the ground and flying short distances testing out their wings. I was watching this youngster sitting in a tree and waited as the squirrel made his way up into the frame. I have a sequence of shots where the hawk twisted his neck and hunched his shoulders watching the squirrel. the hawk’s instinct is ready but his wings need more time.

David Morris