Everglades Hawk

This is a shot I took last Thursday out in the Everglades on my boat. I was actually quite shocked to get this one..

I was about 7 miles away from the dock, going very slowly down a canal I looked and saw this mother hawk sitting on a nest. Apparently she is sitting on eggs, as I couldn't see any young ones. Normally these predatory birds are very shy, and don't nest where people are.

Granted this nest is miles from civilization and only accessible by boat, but she was right on the water. It was a rare find. I idled my boat over near her and used a 70-300mm lens to get this shot. She flew off about 20 yards and returned once I shut off the motor and remained motionless. I took only a few shots ( this one being the best of the bunch ) and let the current drift me back and allow her to settle in.

I was worried she would become over stressed and retreat farther away possibly allowing other birds to come and pillage the nest of the eggs. I'm going to head back out in the next few days and check on her.. I would love to get photos of the young ones when they hatch.

By the Way, full credit goes out to Lakota Princess for cropping this photo. The Lady has talent!