Elusive raptors,
rarely let you near.
When they do,
you are enraptured.
Melanistic red tail hawks have more melanin or pigment in their feathers than other hawks making them distinctive. It used to be thought these morphological distinctions were an isolated variant, but now scientists are noticing behavioral differences associated with the changes in feather color.
Melanistic hawks typically let me get much closer than other hawks and I wonder if this might be due to behavioral differences associated with their color variance. After all, it is often true, those who are different, are also braver!
Cheers to you from the brave and different hawks~
So fascinating Cindy. You captured some amazing expressions there. 😊
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I wish I could must expressions like this at appropriate moments! 😉
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That last photo of the hawk flying is absolutely stunning!
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Thank you!
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They are gorgeous, and so are your photos!
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Awww, thank you Peter. Is your cruise date getting close?
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Feb 15. Just a few hurdles to cross first – we are “ok”, but Marian has a 3-month followup on her achalasia surgery (14d off protonix not much fun), and I’m trying to get my injured knee/hamstring stabilized before we go. How were the twins? Did you have an enjoyable Christmas?
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Hopefully that will give you enough time, and there is excellent medical care on the ships if necessary. I do hope you both go! The twins are awesome, smiling and verbalizing. They are mellow babies and sleep through the night. Christmas was quite special with them. Love & prayers to you and Marian ❤
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♥️♥️
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Die Bilder sind wunderschön!!!
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Vielen dank mein lieber Freund! ❤
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With pleasure 🙂
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Well, I’m in love…. obviously!
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You and me both! They are stunning creatures. ❤
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All I can remember about hawks is they scared us. They came out of nowhere and caught our little baby chicks for their scrumptious meal. 😦
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They are fast and precision fliers. They are very scary if they see you as dinner or if you intrude on their nesting space.
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Beautiful photos. They rarely let you get very close.
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When they do, it is always a thrill. They look at you with those penetrating eyes and deign to let you near!
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I figure they are sizing me up trying to determine if they can take me down and make a meal of me.
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Exactly, and they certainly would, if they could!
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I am in awe of your lovely pictures Cindy, the expression in the eye is different in each pic! Superb photography!
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Ahhhh, I am honored. Thank you so much ❤
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These are amazing photos of majestic birds. You are the animal whisperer after all. They all pose for you. They know you are trying to get us to see their value on the planet. Keep up the good work.
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Wild animals do seem more tolerant of people who are silent with cameras stuck to their faces……Laughing! 😉 Thank you for your very kind words ❤
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Very special birds and wonderful photos of them!
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Merci beaucoup mon ami ❤
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Those are great photographs!
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Honored, thank you!
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Wow, I’ve never seen a melanistic red-tail before; what a beautiful bird! Red-tails are some of my favorite animals in the whole world.
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Yep, me too. This is why we understand each other. Raptors in general are magnificent, aloof creatures. I respect them.
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Raptors were the first animals I became all giddy about, long before big cats. There’s just something aloof about them, like you said, but also mesmerizing and graceful.
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Like flying jaguars!
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Haha, exactly!
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What gorgeous photos of these magnificent birds, Cindy. And thanks for the interesting info that I didn’t know about RTHs.
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Ahhh, thank you Eliza, kind friend ❤ They don't always have red tails, even in adulthood. Juveniles tails are usually barred like these guys.
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Great close up photos Cindy. When we lived in Dallas there was a large hawk that used to perch itself on a pool near our back yard swimming pool. Everytime when I had my small dogs outside (Roxy the Rat Terrier-a runt from the litter) and (Max – a Chuwauwa), I was always worried that the large hawk would swoop down and take one of my dogs up and away. Luckily, it never happened, but I was always careful when the hawk was around.
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Yep, I can well understand why you were careful. I am the same way with our resident Great Horned Owls and our cat Herbert. He is not allowed in the courtyard at night.
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Majestic creatures, and smart too!
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Wise enough to fly away from us, smart creatures!
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Stunning birds. I found an old friend on FB and she is bird blogger; I find that to be fascinating
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I am sure I would like her, and I know I like you! Lovely to meet and I admire you and your blog.
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Regal.
And I love the look they give.
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I do too! It is like they see you like you really are and are not impressed.
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Oh my Gosh!!!! Yes! That is exactly it!!!!
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How gorgeous!!
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They are stunning creatures aren’t they!
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Absolutely stunning!
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Thank you very much ❤
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😎
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These are so beautiful it’s hard to choose a favorite, but I’ll go with the first and the last, the first because the hawk’s expression looks uncharacteristically pensive, the last for the power and freedom of that wingspan.
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You express yourself beautifully Liz. This was a pleasure to read ❤
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Thank you, Cindy!
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❤ ❤
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Oh my…these are amazing shots, Cindy. Thank you so much for sharing!
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Thank you so much more for appreciating the birdies Jill ❤
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Raptors do enrapture! Such beautiful photos, Cindy! 🙂
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Thank you and I am so glad they enrapture you too!
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Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Here are more beautiful photographs from Cindy Knoke!
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Happy Friday Charles & thank you for your thoughtfulness!
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You are very welcome.
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They’re breathtaking! Thanks for the wonderful shots, Cindy ❤
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Thank you more for appreciating them ❤
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It’s like their eyes can look down to the very bottom of our souls. Great pictures, Cindy.
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They do! All the time. You have to stay very still, or they will just become disgusted with you, and fly away. I so admire them for this.
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These are gorgeous! Thank you for the smiles (I shared with my sister and mother).
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Ahhh, tell your sister and mother hello for me ❤
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Hi Cindy, just returned been away for a bit. Nice to find your photography as captivating as it ever was. Bravo.
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Thank you.
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I would love that colour hair Cindy it is gorgeous
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As soon as I saw those feathers, I thought the same thing!
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Yes, the ultimate natural redhead ❤
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Laughing….I would love it too! But we can’t really go to the hair salon and mimic this can we? Although women have been trying to do this with bird feathers forever. Happily, for you and me Pauline, we know, the feathers look best on the bird. Hope all is well with you and Jack ❤
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Definitely better on the bird Cindy we are both keeping well. Going to NZ in March to see my son and daughter
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Oh how wonderful! I look forward to the photos, even though they never show up in my reader….
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That is strange about the unreliable reader. But I only post once or twice a week these days
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Once or twice a week is more than I post.
But still I see none of your posts in my Reader, and miss lots of posts of my long standing good friends because they don’t appear in my Reader.
The Reader is the only way I can stay on top of posts. I even pay WP extra for a plan to prevent losing friends like you.
I have to go hunt for you on the internet, and friends like you, who I want to stay in touch with, and it is time consuming to do.
I don’t want to contact WP and complain.
Just please know, I wish I saw what you and Jack posted.
Maybe I really will contact WP and complain, but they don’t like it. Who actually would?
So I think this is one of those human caused dilemmas without a solution.
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I could put a link on your blog when I post?
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That would be awesome! Thank you Pauline ❤
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Latest post retiredfromgypsylife.wordpress.com enjoy
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Heading over now. Thank you Pauline!
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👍
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You got some great looks and gorgeous images of this one! I wish they’d me get closer skittish things!
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I think this all the time, so I fully relate ❤
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They are so majestic.
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Thank you for knowing this. They are!
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That bird is looking at you with his intense eye, Cindy. What a magnificent creature you photographed so well.
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Thank you for knowing he is a magnificent creature. He truly is ❤
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These photos are beautiful. I did not know about the pigment and the difference in behavior. That’s fascinating. Our red tails here are often quite light in coloration.
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Thank you very much! Hawks and birds in general, have color variation which makes identification quite a challenge for me.
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Fantastic hawk photos, especially the last one captured in flight. Good work, Cindy!
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Thank you very much Peter.
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Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Some stunning pictures of Melanistic hawks taken by Cindy Knoke.
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You are the sweetest friend. Thank you & be well.
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I’m enraptored. Red tailed hawk, chicken hawk, buzzard. Ours are a little lighter, but not as light as google would lead you to think. They liked to dine on rabbit on the peak of my old house here in the ‘burbs. You see them circling, looking for dinner. We still have plenty of rabbits.
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Rabbits are pretty amazing aren’t they. I bred them as a kid for fun. It was impossible to stop them from breeding! I couldn’t separate them fast enough. My friend bred mice, she was in worse shape! I look forward to sharing 2019 with you John. Be well.
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Thank you for your kindness. Rabbits and red tails. They may yet inherit the earth.
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❤ ❤
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So am I! Seconding John!
Your photos of those melanistic red tail hawks are definitely very eye-catching indeed, Cindy!
As far as I can remember, the National Bird Day was just held a few days ago.
Cindy, since you like watching and photographing eagles so much, please be informed that I have very stylishly collated nearly 80 images hyperlinked to Tofino Photography’s posts containing the Moon Eagle. You can find them nicely presented in my special post at https://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/if-my-name-were-moon-tonight/, which also contain my own poem as well as a beautifully written anonymous poem.
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I am a fan and follower of Tofino Photography. We almost met up when I was last in Tofino, and will I am certain, soon. He was going to take me to his cabin and we were going to take photos together. He hooked me up with some black bears which was awesome. Thank you for the link and cheers to you~
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May you have a lovely weekend, Cindy! I look forward to seeing what you think of the rest of my blog, as I have found yours very interesting and diverse in its topics and photos. You do photograph very well indeed!
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Magnificent – reminds me of the quote by Leonardo da Vinci: “For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.”
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Thank you for sharing this quote! It gave my spirits a lift this morning. Forever looking skyward is a good metaphor for why I have to write.
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I just went over to your blog and am following. Looking forward to the conversations waiting for us in 2019!
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As am I! I’m finding that the blogging community is giving me all kinds of inspiration for my writing.
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The blogging community is simply incredible. We are so seriously lucky to be part of it.
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Magnificent creatures! Reminds of this quote: “For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo da Vinci
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Gives me goosebumps. He was such a genius. Thank you Rebecca ❤ ❤
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“The sparrow flying behind the hawk thinks the hawk is fleeing.” (Japanese proverb) Wonderful pictures!
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Wonderful proverb!
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Oh that is wonderful! Thank you for sharing! ❤
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Beautiful birds and wonderful pictures!
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Grazie mille!
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Truly enraptured. Magnificent creatures.
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I am glad you see them as I do ❤
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Oh, Cindy, they are so beautiful. I really look forward to your posts. xxx
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Your very kind comment makes me happy I posted!
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❤
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Magnificent photos, Cindy!
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Hugs to you Rebecca ❤
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Splendid photos of splendid birds 🙂
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Awww, I ❤ people who ❤ birds!
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Majestic creatures with little to fear. Nice shots!
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Thanks Darnell and they are quite brave aren’t they!
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Very much so!
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He’s a very powerful looking beast!
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He has that definite ‘don’t mess with me’ look!
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Ah fabulous Cindy. My phone smiles when it shows your wonderful photos
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Your kind comment just made me smile ❤
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Lovely close-up shots Cindy.
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Thank you very much!
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Thank you for these lovely close ups of the raptor’s beautiful feathers.
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Thank you more for appreciating them & cheers to you Mandy ❤
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wunderschön, liebe Cindy, mache es dir gemütlich und entspanne dich, Klaus
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Ich werde das so machen. Vielen Dank & ein wunderschönes Wochenende! ❤
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Your photos are magnificent of such a majestic creature.
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Ahhh, so appreciated! Thank you & cheers too~
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