Tesla Discovery Park - 2021

I was looking for "leading lines" and "rule of thirds" shots in another shoot for school and was fortunate to capture a few of each. Of course, I shot a heck of a lot more than that.  One big surprise was finding the Fox out and about at mid-day. This Fox is usually close to or hunkered down in the den by the time we arrive for our walk and I never am fast enough to make the capture if it is out. Today I did catch it but the capture was hurried and a bit blurry. We sometimes catch it running into the den as we arrive but rarely see it far from the entrance as we did today. Imagine the surprise when the girls gave chase. The Fox was a good distance away, so there was no chance the girls would catch up or I would have refused the chase. I think it would be entertaining to see the reactions from all if they ever did meet. The image following that of the Fox shows the girls in hot pursuit. The Fox is well hidden by then in an alternative hide, the drainage pipe at the top left of the frame. The true den is back where I was shooting from in a similar pipe. My girls don't have an aggressive side, but they do love a good chase and sniff.  The Vultures were waiting for the Hawks to make a kill so they could maybe steal it.

I haven't made images here since 2019. I couldn't handle the long lens anymore (this was before the shoulder surgery). Then there were cataracts. Anyway, I missed my Red Tails, Kites, Falcons, and Kestrels. It is so good to be back. It looks like there's a new sheriff in town, though. This is a new Red Tail Hawk. She/he has no deformed talon or beak-like my old friend, so I think the old girl finally called it quits. I've been recording her for about ten years now. Sigh! This one looks strong and is brightly plumed. The Kestrel may be the same one but larger. Of course, the girls are always good subjects, and I do love that old gnarly oak.