The Raptor Photos

Birds rehabilitated and cared for by Whispering Willow Wild Care of Schenectady, New York.

Hello Nadine —

So that hawk photo is shocking! I rarely take shocking photos. This was a collaboration.

I got to this exhibit last, on Sunday morning, while they were setting up and no birds were visible. Only the Asian chick got my joke, “Do you have pigeons here?” I kept saying things and she kept laughing.

I came back half an hour later…and the birds were out…

I left my cameras on the table where they could see them. Then after a lot of discussion with their handlers, I met them one at a time and told them how gorgeous they are and got to know them and studied them for a while and let them feel my vibe. I was deliberately taking it slow and letting them get to know me a little.

Finally the crow invited me to photograph him. A real badass. Who could make ANY sound.

Then I moved onto the big owl…this bird had the MOST interesting vibe I’ve ever felt in an animal…this hum of cool clairvoyance…unbelievable to be that close to it. My inner Skunk was loving it. This creature is entirely on its own wavelength, like from a separate cosmos inserted into our own…almost invisible to humans…they sit so still and are so perfectly camouflaged.

I asked what the call was and I recognized it…this is the owl sound I hear pretty much all the time…there are one or more who live right near me in the little patch of woods right by my fireplace. Their presence is ubiquitous…

Then I took some photos of the hawk. Holy fuck. What a handsome creature.

We were all vibing with one another!!!!

Then the little one, a tiny owl; I don’t know a lot about these creatures but I said, I bet this guy makes a loud sound — and his handler said, yeah. He’s a screech owl! like…maybe five inches tall.

The screech was all puffed up in his little nook, trying to be intimidating, upset by the barking of crated dogs 200 feet away.

And that was my experience photographing wild birds…except for the ones on my porch. Mostly doves and blue jays…and red winged blackbirds.

efc