This is the time of year to witness migrating birds passing through the southeastern Arizona area. Among them is the common black hawk.
Even without the “big gun” lens some of my raptor photographer friends have, I have wanted to go to the Tubac Hawk Watch, which I was able to do this past Tuesday with Bill Kaufman.
I expected to be outgunned, by not having anything over 300+ mm lens, I still gave it my best shot.
Bill and I arrived about 8:15 am at the Ron Morriss Park in Tubac. Most of the birds of prey usually start taking flight between 9:00 am and noon, so we were surprised when some started coming out of the tree-line to the east minutes after we had arrived.
“Black Hawk Up”! “Black Hawk Up”! Became the cry as birders pointed cameras and binoculars to the sky.
Knowing that such a flight pattern near the tree-line would be good for me and my lesser lens (28-300 mm), I had already moved to a position near the tree-line. Even so, my images don’t begin to match up to the more powerful lenses.
Here’s one of my images, followed by one Bill Kaufman took.
Image by kenne
Image by Bill Kaufman
Ned Harris, seated in the middle,
is my Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalist mentor
and excellent raptor photographer.
Several of his photos are in Pete Dunne’s book, “Birds of Prey.”
Bill Kaufman is second from the left.
Images by kenne
To force the pace and never to be still
Is not the way of those who study birds
Or women. The best poets wait for words.
The hunt is not an exercise of will
But patient love relaxing on a hill
To note the movement of a timid wing;
Until the one who knows that she is loved
No longer waits but risks surrendering –
In this the poet finds his moral proved
Who never spoke before his spirit moved.
— from “Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher” by Nissim Ezekiel
Becoming is Superior to Being 
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