Red-tailed Hawk landing on nest, Bobst Library, NYU, New York City

Camera mishap and busy bees – July 8th, 2019

I was ready to head out to Washington Square Park last Wednesday when I realized my telephoto lens was busted. Instant heartbreak! The worst part of it was that my trusted camera repair shop had already closed for the day and wouldn’t reopen until Friday (after Thursday’s July 4th holiday).

I took my lens to the shop Friday and they let me know they should receive the replacement part by this Wednesday. Fingers crossed I’ll have my lens back by the end of this week.

I brought one of my other lenses along to the park today. Juno appeared on the southeastern flag pole mere seconds after I had last checked it and found it empty.

distant Hawk on NYU flag pole

He was being harassed by another bird. This is as ‘cropped in’ as I could get with my non-telephoto lens:

bird harassing Hawk on flag pole

Juno screamed a few times at his tormenter. He is a very vocal Hawk.

He dove off his perch and flew over the park 5 minutes after I first spotted him:

Juno flying over NYU building

I couldn’t find him again so that was it for the day.

A shot of the One Fifth Avenue apartment building I would not have been able to take with my zoom lens:

One Fifth Avenue apartment building

I didn’t see another Hawk during my visit. However there were many bees and butterflies flying from flower to flower to keep me busy:

bee collecting pollen from a park flower

Kicked-up pollen:

bee kicking up flower pollen

Washington Square Park bee on a flower

Furry, fuzzy bee:

detail of furry bee and wings

The term for their body hair covering, or pile, is “setae” (named after the latin word for bristles).

View of the Hawk nest from the sidewalk:

distant view of Red-tailed Hawk nest


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8 thoughts on “Camera mishap and busy bees – July 8th, 2019

    1. Thanks! I used to be deathly afraid of them. In the last few years I’ve come to realize they don’t even care I exist and they are solely focused on their work. It makes it easier to relax and photograph them now. 🙂

  1. Your shots of the bees in the flowers are wondrous to behold….truly magnifique! Delighted you are still on the scene, seeking out our hawks, not an easy task. Best wishes, hoping your new telephoto lens will be in service soon.

    1. Thanks, Ann! Oh yes, I will still be out there to check on the Hawks whenever I can. I miss my zoom lens but had fun practicing with my other lens (it’s been a while since I used it).

  2. I LOVE the closeups you are getting with the “new” lens. They are really beautiful shots. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to have both a telephoto and a macro on hand at all times? Of course I also am happy that you usually shoot with telephoto or much of what you have shown us about the hawks would not be possible. Hope the lens is fixed properly soon.
    Sue H

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