Hawk ID help

[RainyEye]

I was out around Blackdog looking for some Eagles and I saw this hawk staring at me about 20 ft. away. Can't figure out what it is for sure. I'm guessing it's a female Merlin, but my bird book isn't real definitive. Any ideas? Thanks!

[buzzsaw]

Immature (1st year) Redtail Hawk. They usually have a yellow eye in the first year that turns brown and they develop the REDtail as they age. Beautiful species!

[MN Shutterbug]

That's a cool shot, but I'm waiting for pictures of the eagles.

[yakfisher]

I think I have a fuzzy shot of that same bird from two days ago. You did a much better job capturing it than I did. Great work!

[RainyEye]

I saw 3 Eagles, 1 mature and 2 immature, all on the other side of the river, so I couldn't get any good shots with my lens ( Tamron 70-300 LD Di ) and my 1.4 TC

Here's one of the best ones:

[RainyEye]

Here's another that was kinda cool how I got 2 of them together, but I sure wish I had a bigger ,sharper lens!

[Dbl]

Good work GCLARK. Those buggers can be tough to get even with long glass!

[mmeyer]

No matter how long of a lens you have you'll always want more. Those are very nice shots.

[MN Shutterbug]

 Originally Posted By: mmeyer

No matter how long of a lens you have you'll always want more. Those are very nice shots.

My feelings exactly.

[RainyEye]

Thanks guys, I appreciate that, this is a super forum with many helpful people and also many ideas on how to improve. I'm just getting into a little more serious photography with my new DSLR so this forum has been great! The many wonderful photos shared certainly provide interest and aspiration!

[delcecchi]

If you want eagle pictures close up, come to lake Vermilion in the summer. There are eagles and ospreys all over the place, at least on the west end. Also loons and herons, and an occasional turkey vulture for variety.