Charlie Fineran’s Photo of the Week captures the eye, literally, of a young Red-tailed Hawk.

The hawk, which flew across my windshield, landed in a tree, just in front of my car and then stayed there while I began taking photos!  We are talking close distance, I had to lean out and look up for the photos!  We are talking sun in perfect position for great lighting!  THIS WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER’S GIFT FROM NATURE!!  It was a surreal moment during this encounter and just as surreal thinking about the scenario of this journey leading up to the encounter!!  Here is the story.

Just finished a photo journey along the Pequest River, documenting the swollen waters from the previous night’s heavy rain!!  My journey was a series of stops along Route 46, where I would then walk along the River, taking photos and videos of the swift currents cascading over the rocky riverbed.  The videos actually served two purposes, accentuating the vision of turmoil AND recording the roaring sounds of the turmoil!!  This continued until I was in Belvidere, where the river plummets over two waterfalls in a frothy rage, before ‘blending’ into the Delaware River by the bridge.  I must say, I was rather taken back at the sight of the River meeting River, with all the raging turmoil, cascading and wildness of the water witnessed during this journey, this ending was literally a BLEND!!  Calm, quiet, lackluster and I guess disappointing are some words that come to mind!!  My mission accomplished, now what is my game plan for the ride home??!!

THE PLAN.  Drive back home to Allamuchy, going up CR 519 into center of Hope and stay on CR 519 until State Park Road, where I will turn off and meander home through some really nice quiet roads, maybe will see some wildlife!!  Turn onto State Park Road and within a minute, my GIFT FROM NATURE BEGINS!!  AND, YOUR PHOTO OF THE WEEK was taken!!  Remember, my game plan was to seek out and perchance come across some wildlife to photograph, making my ride home, an adventure in itself – Hate just returning home!!  Well, following plans, turned onto my quiet road and the Red-tailed Hawk came to me!!  Announced his arrival, flying across my windshield,  landed in a tree, literally alongside the road, so close, I had to lean out and look up!!  Must have known I had a camera, looking for some action!!  Remains in place, as if posing.  Picture this, pun intended, I am on a narrow quiet road, usually don’t see another car and taking photos of this hawk and a car pulls up behind me and then slowly crawls by between me and the hawk jumps onto an adjacent branch with an even better view for me!!!  Are you getting my drift calling this incident a GIFT FROM NATURE!!??  Charlie says,  “Any time you are visited by wildlife OR you come across wildlife, you have experienced a gift from Nature”

At home, put together a Flickr album, pulling different bird photos from my collections.  Some of these photos I would also classify as gifts but for many various reasons!!  When I think about it, Any Nice Photo could be classified as a gift – Right place, right time, right sunlight, right circumstances, subject co-operates by staying around AND (NOTE): this is very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ‘Camera in hand and ready!!’

Please visit my Flickr site for photos of some birds in our backyards, Hope you enjoy  https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157700924465422

Enjoy Your Open Space, Charlie Fineran