Comments on: If You Like Photography

By: Amy Hunter

Amy Hunter — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:02:14 +0000

I took an ornithology class as an undergraduate and have been a birder ever since. Raptors (owls, hawks, eagles, falcons) are often tricky to identify, but the really common ones I know. I’ve seen the sharp shinned hawks enough times to get a really good view of them. Red tails are easy to identify, especially along the highway, where they sit on light poles, because of the tail.

I have a field guide devoted to raptors, so that helps. If you’re interested, it’s a Peterson Field Guide called Hawks by William S. Clark and Brian K. Wheeler. Here’s a link on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Hawks-North-America/dp/0395670675/ref=ed_oe_o

And, of course, a good pair of binoculars and an unobstructed view always helps. I rarely have binoculars with me, though, so if it’s not a species I know well, I’m like everyone else and go, “Oh look! Some kind of hawk!”

By: Jody

Jody — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:20:13 +0000

So does the bird knowledge come from photography? I couldn’t tell identify different species like you can…

By: Amy Hunter

Amy Hunter — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:46:39 +0000

Sounds like a wonderful place to live! Even here in the cities, I sometimes see an eagle flying over. Saw one over the warehouse district downtown a few years ago, actually. Mostly you just see red tailed hawks along the highways. There is a pair of sharp shinned hawks living in my neighborhood, though.

Someday I might get brave and contact a falconer and ask if I could come photograph.

By: Jody

Jody — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:36:33 +0000

I was teasing:) The Minnesota Zoo does a really good bird show and I know they let some of them fly…maybe you could make a special arrangement if you were so inclined.

I live along side a very wooded river bank. I see scores of Eagles in the area, Hawks, not sure I’d recognize a Falcon but I periodically hear an Owl…maybe because their are so many Bats. Could be why I feel so at home here:)

By: Amy Hunter

Amy Hunter — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:51:42 +0000

Joy, you know exactly what I’m talking about–getting into the rhythm of nature.

Jody, are you teasing, or do you mean you *have* a falcon? There are peregrines in downtown Minneapolis, and I used to see them once in a while, but then my company switched to a different building, and I don’t see them anymore. They’d be really tough to photograph on the wing, anyway. The zoo also has one, but I don’t think it’s on public display–you can only see it during their bird show.

By: Jody

Jody — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:47:36 +0000

LOL…no recent contact with Falcons? Wow, I’m stunned I thought all Minnesotan walked around with one pirched on a leather glove…didn’t you get the memo?

Great photography.

By: Joy

Joy — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:12:29 +0000

Thanks Amy for the good movie review. I’m always looking for a new good movie to watch and I love photography as well as animals. It is funny how when we watch an “animal” movie and it looks like they’re always on the run and busy when I know they aren’t. I can sometimes tell the time of day depending on what I’m seeing out my windows. I will for sure check this out.

By: Amy Hunter

Amy Hunter — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:47:45 +0000

Thanks, Jody! All the photos are mine, except the falcon/moon on the right. I did the Photoshop work on it, but the original images aren’t mine. I tossed it together when I was imagining a cover for my novel. I’d like to re-do it with my own pictures. Just haven’t found an opportunity to photograph a falcon!

I’d love to push my skills up to the next level, but I’d have to put in a lot more time than I have to do it.

By: Jody

Jody — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:00:05 +0000

Did you take the pictures in your blog header? If you did it safe to say you’re already inspired.