Tucson, Arizona.
This week, Ben Huberman asks us to share something that exists harmoniously with its surroundings. He writes, “Gracefulness is a tricky quality – it manifests itself as an effortless, subtle harmony between a subject and its environment.” You can read the entire challenge post here.
In the image above, two Harris Hawks float effortlessly on the air currents as they hunt for prey. Birds on the ground can be pretty ungainly, especially some species that jut their head to and fro with every step they take. But give them some space and a little bit of sky and they can soar for hours in the sky. The gallery below features a few images captured at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum where during the cooler seasons they feature a raptor flight demonstration. Harris Hawks fly in “wolf packs”, always looking for a meal. Each bird in the family takes turns feasting on the catch. They only stop hunting when the last bird and last chick have been feed. Click on an image to enlarge it and to scroll through the gallery.
John Steiner
Flare Legend Adventures
[…] Journeys with JohnboWeekly Photo Challenge – Graceful […]
Stunning photos, John – the pictures actually seem alive, I can see the hawks gracefully slicing the air!
Thank you, coming from you, that is quite a compliment.
You are far too kind John. Thank you.
[…] Journeys with Johnbo Weekly Photo Challenge – Graceful […]
Awesome shots, perfect for this challenge!
Thanks!
Amazing arent they John? Well captured and great choice for the challenge.
You should see how many images were rejected before selecting these. 😎
Gorgeous! We have hawks that live on or near our property. Every once in awhile the stillness is shattered as a hawk bursts out of the woods and tries to scoop up one of the lil’ song birds. It’s amazing to watch!
The Desert Museum’s Raptor Flight is amazing to watch. I’ll be featuring an entire Travel Tuesday post with more of the hawks and a couple of other raptors. Yesterday, I got a Thank You message from the moderator of the Desert Southwest Facebook Group. I’d uploaded the opening photo above to their page. They are now using it as their cover photo.