Rough-legged Hawk Vertical Bank (Buteo Lagopus, Buse Pattue, RLHA) southeastern corner of Ontario ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D MArk IV, 500mm f/4 L IS USM. ISO800, f/5.6 @ 1/2,500s Manual mode. Click HERE to order a print or license image for publication.
Rough-legged Hawk Hovering (Buteo Lagopus, Buse Pattue, RLHA) southeastern corner of Ontario ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D MArk IV, 500mm f/4 L IS USM. ISO800, f/5.6 @ 1/2,500s Manual mode. Click HERE to order a print or license image for publication.
A Rough-legged Hawk put on quite a show for my Snowy Winter Owl Workshop Group. We were all sitting low and still, and quite close to a snowy owl when this Rough-Legged Hawk swooped down and started to harass the Owl. Interesting to note that fewer Rough-legged Hawks are recorded during Christmas bird counts where Red-tailed Hawks are doing well; The Red-tailed Hawks stay on their territory year round, and they vigorously defend it against the winter visitors.
Kudos
Winter owl photography was near the top of my bucket list. My research kept ending up with one name, Christopher Dodds. I had participated in nine previous field instructional photo tours throughout the USA, Canada, Japan and the Falklands with six different professional photographers all of which were excellent but this one was a cut above.
The best field photography instructors are professionals, formally trained in photography and have extensive experience in studio work as well as other areas. Chris Dodds comes with those credentials and 20 plus years as an outdoor photographer and is a sub specialist in winter owl photography. He understands and teaches from the basics to the most advanced science and technical knowledge in the field.
Beyond the photography Chris’ Owl Prowl stands out as the model for a highly successful experience. After 20 plus years of developing relationships and infrastructure his photo tours are characterized by superb organization, logistic, transportation, and communication. We stayed on schedule at a relaxed pace and he was always mindful of our small group's personal safety during extreme weather conditions.
The return on my investment and expectations in Chris Dodds' Great Owl Prowl was excellent. It's true! you get what you pay for.
CJ Hockett Vermont USA