Male Sparrowhawk Portraits

One of the reasons for my increased level of visits to the hide at Stithians Southern Cut-off recently has been influenced to some degree by the number of Sparrowhawk sightings and images from here over recent months,  The feeding station at the hide attracts a wide range of bird species that will keep most photographers clicking away for hours but the illusive Sparrowhawk is in a league of its own when the opportunity arises to gain close portraits with its amazing yellow piecing eyes that seem to stare right though you.  Following several days without it showing I finally got my chance.

Peter Tonkin and I had been busy for several hours working on Two Greenfinch,  Four Goldcrest, Six Bullfinch and a Greater-spotted Woodpecker when Peter whispered  SPARROWHAWK.  It had flown on to the top of a feeder frame about twelve metres from and level with the hide and to say that it looked absolutely superb through my viewfinder on my Nikon D5 fitted with a 500mm f4 lens and 1.7 converter some how seems like an understatement!!

We both fired off multiple exposures during the time that it perched on the feeder frame still looking around for small birds that might have missed his arrival but they were all long gone, It gave us one more of those long piercing stares before it also departed looking for greener pastures and lunch

What a wonderful Bird of Prey and such a privilege to photograph it to retain a few very memorable images of: .................                                                                                                                                                                                  THOSE AMAZING PIERCING EYES !!

The light levels were quite poor at Stithians yesterday and I have to give credit to the Nikon D5 for capturing this set of portraits,  The shots were taken in cloudy conditions at 2.15 pm using:

Maximum aperture available of  F6.7,  Fastest available Shutter speed of  1/800th,  Set -0.7 exposure compensation to hold the whites even in low light and to increase shutter speed,  850mm focal length for close portraits and perhaps when looking at the images a surprising high ISO 6400 to achieve the other settings.       HAPPY DAY ARE HERE AGAIN !!