We believe this is a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, a female due to the large size.
That hawk's diet is small songbirds, which I have a LOT of at my feeders, and that could explain the bird feathers I have been finding lately!
Here's the story.. While sitting at my desk, I looked out the sliding glass doors
and saw this hawk sitting on my back patio fence. I took a couple photos with
the 105mm that was on the camera, shooting through the glass doors. I didn't want
to miss him totally.
Ok, quickly put on the 80-200mm and tried to handhold it.. I'm getting old LOL, so,
I got the tripod and set it up behind the glass. Important to know here, that the
glass door has a film on it that blocks uv but it also reflects so the birds can't
see me IF I stay behind that one section of glass, and it's the section that moves.
I slowly opened the door just enough to get the lens to peek through. Not the perfect
angle and I was so worried the hawk would fly away the minute I did. I measured, and
he was only 18 feet away. I took a few more frames. He was enjoying the morning sun,
facing into it but looking back at me from time to time. My first shot was taken at 10:36am
Getting braver, I grabbed the 2x converter for a few close ups. He stretched and turned
around so I knew our "visit" was about over. The entire 'session' lasted a half hour, and
ended when he flew straight at me! My 2x is manual focus so I managed to think to push
the shutter but as you see it was an out of focus shot...but look at him staring me down.
He turned quickly and did a low pass over my tiny yard and was gone.
I live with an apartment complex behind my condo complex.. the last thing I expected to
see on my back fence was a gorgeous hawk like this!