In Search Of Bonelli's Eagle - Day 4

Day 4, Goshawk - 30.1.20

Today it's a 5.30am start with just enough time for a couple of coffee's before we set off as we need to be in the Goshawk hide before it get's light. All geared up I head off down to the hotel's cafeteria and it's already busy with locals on route to their work place, the coffee's flowing and even the odd cognac...way too early for me !

Changing vehicles again to the four wheel drive we head up into the forest arriving at the hide it's still pitch black, a good idea I'd packed and brought along the head torch, Yani places the bait rabbit on the far post at a distance more suited to the 500mm and we wait. Usually the Goshawk arrives around sunrise which at this time of year is 8.30am staying to feed for around forty minuets by which time the light should be pretty good, not on this occasion, the bird turns up early at around 7.50am and its twilight...well as far as I'm concerned that's still called...dark !

We wait motionless for the hawk to settle before attempting any movement, happy the bird is feeding I check the camera settings....12,800 ISO, f4, 1/25 sec...wow crap, challenging to say the least. After about 10-15 minuets I mange to get shutter sped up to 1/100 sec on the camera and start to get some shots. See image below, I think it looks ok but it ain't going to win any prizes.

Over the next 45 minuets the hawk tears into the rabbit occasionally looking around checking it's surroundings, at one point it's looks at me but I suspect it can't see me through the one way glass probably just hearing the camera shutter. Minuets later the Goshawk looks skywards just as the male Goshawk flashes past and it takes off in pursuit not to return again.

Now around 9.0am and looks like the sessions over, we wait a further 30 minuets and with no sign of the bird returning we decide to call time. What a great experience, a little disappointed the bird turned when the light was not so good but there's always another time.

Right...what's next, well you'l have to read on.

Goshawk  -  female

Just look at the camera shooting settings for the above image to get an understanding of how low the light levels were ISO 12,800, f4, 1/100 sec, although light levels did improve later in the session.