Preening Red-tail

This juvenile red-tailed hawk was perched on a weathered mossy post near a trailhead, preening its slightly damp feathers likely due to the drizzly conditions within sections of Inverness. Photographed in a bright section slightly more illuminated by the overcast skies, this hawk was drying off while utilizing the rainwater within its feathers as an opportunity to remove imperfections that may have altered flight or caused other issues. A common bird doing a commonly ignored behavior is pictured, allowing viewers to see the detail of such an intricate activity. Ironically, I photographed this hawk on a day when nothing had seemed to go to plan, not having realized how dense the fog would be when exploring Point Reyes. A vital sentiment to keep being a nature photographer is to take the photo nature envisions, not necessarily the one you envisioned. When seeing the hawk, I was immediately enamoured with its character as I watched for a short period while it seemingly tried to dry its wings by spreading them without preening and then shortly after he began preening I photographed only a couple shots assuming it was likely too dark of overcast to get quality images and then continued to the parking lot of the trailhead. The photographic detail juxtaposed with a naturally minimalist composition allows a unique view into the everyday life of a red-tailed hawk.