Hawk let me get up close for several pictures, perched on an old Oak tree

[Ken K]

It's a "buzzard" AND a "hawk".

In UK & Europe, a buzzard.
In North America, a hawk.
See link to Cambridge Dictionary:
BUZZARD | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

In North America a buzzard is also commonly called a vulture and typically feeds on carion while a hawk hunts live prey in the air and on the surface.

 

[tsdillon]

Was flying my M2P today, came across a hawk perched on top of an old oak tree. Circled the tree and then slowly came up to her, switched to Tri-Pod mode getting closer. Eventually, was 8-10 feet from her. She sat there not a worry in the world, took many pictures then flew M2P back to launch area.

Was surprised to get this close, Hasselblad camera is great.

Thanks for looking,
Paul

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Fantastic - as someone who has done a lot of bird photography (amateur) both still and video over the years. Assume the large images are from cropping - still good detail!! - thanks to Hasselblad. Hope you post any further pics you make. Any thoughts of video with Hass lens

Terry D (Australia)

 

[Waldo Pepper]

A bird watcher who mistakes a Red Tail for a buzzard? Well, OK.... not a bird watcher. Never ceases to amaze me trying to figure out why some people post odd replies. Bored, or dumb I guess.
Anyway, we have the hawks in my area as well. They fall somewhat in the behavioral characteristics of some eagles. That is, there is a limited set of aerial threats in their inherited database. Not much scares them, if it is flying. Your photos are stunning, and that is the real value in this thread. Thanks for taking time to upload for the rest of the members. Keep up the great photography.

Thank you flightlogic,

What probably happened is the hawk has become comfortable with the drone, I’ve been flying this particular area for months and have flown close to a couple of hawks in this area. This may have been one of those hawks, she’s become comfortable to the drone and as you mentioned there are liminted aerial threats in their area.

In fear of drone police, I’m not posting what I believe all will enjoy viewing. Have spectacular Mavic 2 Pro pictures of Native American settlements, including pictographs inside a rock cave. These are probably centuries old quite possible thousands of years, These were all taken from sides of a Rocky Mountains as I was fly and in one particular site was able to fly up to the enterence of the rock cave, captured beautiful pictographs with the Mavic 2 Pro. I search for lost settlements, both American or Spaniard and Native American settlements, Have been very successful in my career.

With the Native American villages, I don’t recover artifacts all I do is view them from above with high tech drones. I’m afraid to post pictures, because they’re people out there that find some way to get the location and may damage these settlements.

Anyway, I’d like to share them if I could.

Thanks again,
Paul

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Fantastic - as someone who has done a lot of bird photography (amateur) both still and video over the years. Assume the large images are from cropping - still good detail!! - thanks to Hasselblad. Hope you post any further pics you make. Any thoughts of video with Hass lens

Terry D (Australia)

Thanks Terry,

Mavic 2 Pro was 8’-10’ from the red tail hawk, I did chop it down some and suprisinly still had good detail.

Agree, Hasselblad is great, thanks,
Paul

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Than

Well done Waldo !! Great shots and definitely a hawk!

Thank you solarguy,

Paul

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Than

Amazing use of technology!

Thanks JSKCKNIT,

Agree, amazing use of technology the Mavic 2 Pro is a remarkable piece of equipment, great tool for my research hobby.

Thanks again,
Paul

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Very cool photos. Did you shoot in RAW? If so, you can really enhance some of these using Adobe's Lightroom.

Hello ScubaBob,

Wasn’t in RAW, I’m still learning the camera settings but I’ll try RAW on a near flight. Appreciate the information, thanks again.
Paul

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Very cool. The closest I’ve gotten is about 25 feet to a bald eagle and osprey. It’s one reason I really like the zoom.

Thanks nedcampbell,

25’ feet is very close for an eagle, yes indeed zoom is a great feature probably even better it will put you in position to take these type of great shots:

Good job, and thanks again.
Paul

 

[Waldo Pepper]

do you get into pre invasion of what is now north America? as in the so called native Americans had there own tribal names and cultures.
as in the "massacre", could have been a survival effort from the pre white-man history local tribe.

sadly history is written by only the one sided view of the victors.

no i am just American white boy (aged 59), but my blood line ( my mothers grand mother was full blooded) does go straight back to the Cherokee tribe (which branch i do not know),

Hello pack rat,

I’m just now getting accustomed and better familiar with tribal names and cultures. And learning the differences between pictographs and petroglyphs, very fascinating learning as I go along.

As for the massacre, the Native Indians of this area give the settlers 10 days to leave. Unfortunately, the settlers started to leave on the 10th day and were seen digging holes to bury things. This gave the impression the settlers planned to return, the attack took place before noon.

Three surrived, One played dead with arrows in him, the other two escaped down the nearby river. The remaining settlers, all died.

Take care and thanks for sharing,
Paul

 

[Waldo Pepper]

I love the shots you took of this hawk, we are able to zoom in even more and not get a fuzzy picture. Showed my wife and 2 daughters and they were shocked at how pretty the bird is and how amazing the camera on a drone can be. Awesome work buddy

Thanks Smalls,

I’m glad to hear you, your family and many others enjoyed the pictures. My buddy said the same when I texted him the pics; he flys a mavic Pro takes great shots as well.

Thanks again,
Paul

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Nice pics, but please be aware that its the start of mating season in the Northern Hemisphere for raptors, and red tailed hawks like those, as well as our other raptors are paired off and will start nest building soon. Best to stay away as they will be getting territorial and the US migratory bird act protects nesting birds like those from being disturbed.

Thanks AMann,

I will, got lucky and fortunately the hawk was comfortable with the drone so close. But I’ll be very careful in the future, appreciate the help.
Paul

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Awesome shots! And not one overzealous drone police! I love this forum!

Thanks Steve,

Yes it’s great when forum members are kind, great forum for sure.

Thanks again,
Paul

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Thank

@Waldo Pepper
Very cool. We have a couple of Hawks in a wetland a couple hundred yards away but they are more aggressive and flighty than yours. Nice job!

Thank you JDawg,

Appreciate the encouragement; thanks buddy,
Paul

 

[Flexon]

this is so amazing, that bird must be the first on smoking weed.... so relaxed

 

[Treeofliberty]

Those hawks are such majestic and graceful birds. We get lots of them here in Phoenix, and I'm amazed how disinterested that hawk was. Fantastic shot.

 

[flightlogic]

Not to hijack a thread too far off... but here goes. In my area, near Sedona, I have discovered Indian Ruins not visible from ground level. They are cliff tops and pretty secure from amateur hikers. I only found them with my antique Luscombe aircraft. And even that is too fast for a good close look. You have inspired me (no pun) to go back with the Mavic 2 Pro and have a good look. My dad was an archaeologist and would have loved tools like we have now. His school mate at Harvard was Ned Danson. That name is common due to his son being an actor. Ned and my dad only had a pair of old WWII walkie talkies and good hiking boots. That was the extent of technology. And some dental picks to examine finds carefully and closely. The Mavic 2 steady platform, ability to "climb" a mountain with no effort and good resolution photos.... is just amazing. Thanks for hatching some new ideas and thoughts in this old pilots head. The hunting hawks and eagles will just be icing on the cake!

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Not to hijack a thread too far off... but here goes. In my area, near Sedona, I have discovered Indian Ruins not visible from ground level. They are cliff tops and pretty secure from amateur hikers. I only found them with my antique Luscombe aircraft. And even that is too fast for a good close look. You have inspired me (no pun) to go back with the Mavic 2 Pro and have a good look. My dad was an archaeologist and would have loved tools like we have now. His school mate at Harvard was Ned Danson. That name is common due to his son being an actor. Ned and my dad only had a pair of old WWII walkie talkies and good hiking boots. That was the extent of technology. And some dental picks to examine finds carefully and closely. The Mavic 2 steady platform, ability to "climb" a mountain with no effort and good resolution photos.... is just amazing. Thanks for hatching some new ideas and thoughts in this old pilots head. The hunting hawks and eagles will just be icing on the cake!

Hello Flightlogic,

Not high jacking at all, I’m glad to see others like yourself enjoying the thread. Especially reading it’s inspired you to venture out with the M2P at those old RC flight cliff tops you flew years ago. And yes indeed archaeologists like your father would have loved the equipment we use today, top end drones are good equipment especially the M2 series.

I’m starting to use a high powered telescope with my research, can view a drone a mile away at the entrance of a cave. Can clearly see and maneuver the drone inside the entrance without fear of crashing against sides of wall, ceiling or an bushy obstacle. As long as Controller and drone are inline reception is good, can view pictographs up closely. I’ve enclosed a picture from my telescope, look closely you’ll see the M2P at the entrance of a rock cave it’s 1 mile away.

Enjoy the adventure, with the M2P you’re going to enjoy the adventure exploring searching for past history.

Thanks and keep us posted,
Paul

 

[flightlogic]

Some things are right in front of my face.... yet I miss them. I have a good Celestron Telescope... but have never thought about assistance with "visual line of sight". Great idea, and I am glad you mentioned it.
BTW- I have never flown an RC aircraft. Too chicken for that. The Luscombe 8E is a 1947 all aluminum post war taildragger aircraft. Fairly slow inflight with just 75 horsepower. But mine had doors that were plexi all the way to the bottom. Great for spotting Indian ruins on cliff tops. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Some things are right in front of my face.... yet I miss them. I have a good Celestron Telescope... but have never thought about assistance with "visual line of sight". Great idea, and I am glad you mentioned it.
BTW- I have never flown an RC aircraft. Too chicken for that. The Luscombe 8E is a 1947 all aluminum post war taildragger aircraft. Fairly slow inflight with just 75 horsepower. But mine had doors that were plexi all the way to the bottom. Great for spotting Indian ruins on cliff tops. Thanks for the reply!

Understand, it was an auctal vintage airplane you flew viewing the cliff tops not an RC, even better you are an experience aircraft pilot. My hats off to you sir, good job.

The Celestron telescope should be good, hope you’re able to include it as a tool with research. I’m just scratching the surface with mine, and purchased an adapter to use my iPhone as the camera. It’s a Meade telescope, using the iPhone as a camera isn’t the greatest but it works stores pictures directly to the phone.

Good luck, hope you find those hidden treasures if lost history.

All the best,
Paul

 

[Zoomzoom]

Very cool!