Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Karl, this is a superb image! My only nit would be that I'd like to see a bit more room on the bottom of the frame...even so this is a killer shot. Well done!

Mike Wooding wrote:Karl, this is a superb image! My only nit would be that I'd like to see a bit more room on the bottom of the frame...even so this is a killer shot. Well done!

Thanks Mike.
I added some canvas to the bottom.

wonderful shot and nature story Karl!

Killer shot, literally. Probably my favorite frame you've posted in my two years on this board. It is just superb in every aspect.

Killer shot.. Well done getting an adult

Holy cow Karl!! How awesome that you got a adult female sharpie, and with prey, and without a bunch of branches ruining the shot. Wow!!
Looks like you did some cloning around the head that could be cleaned up before you print this

Awesome capture Karl!
One of your best!

Wonderful shot, Karl. One of your best of a very great portfolio.

Best,

Matt

Nicely done Karl. I guess if a hawk has to kill another bird for food, then a Starling would be my choice to get rid of. Starlings are just nasty birds!

Karl this is the kind of raw wild shot that others want to capture-well done with a smooth BG.


T.

David Salem wrote:Holy cow Karl!! How awesome that you got a adult female sharpie, and with prey, and without a bunch of branches ruining the shot. Wow!!
Looks like you did some cloning around the head that could be cleaned up before you print this

Thanks, David.
I think it was the food that made the mess around the head.
I fixed it, anyway.

Wow! how cool is this. awesome capture Karl. Not tried what Mark said, but i do get it!

Way to go Sharpie!! Awesome shot.

Wow, Karl, this is outstanding!  Without question, my very favorite of any image I have seen from you.  Love the detail in the plumage, the background, and, of course, the prey.  Congratulations!

Karl this is so nice... ultimate infact

Awesome shot Karl

Thanks for everyone.
I posted it somewhere else and some people seem to know that this is an older male.
Based on the size it was my guess as well that it was a small male.

Karl Egressy wrote:Thanks for everyone.
I posted it somewhere else and some people seem to know that this is an older male.
Based on the size it was my guess as well that it was a small male.

Hi Karl. This is an adult and I am almost positive it is a female.

The people that told you that it's a male are going on the color and apparent small size of this hawk. 
She is actually a pretty good sized female.  Muskets (Males) are much smaller and are very rarely seen as they are very secretive. 
I have been hunting and trapping Sharpies for many years and I rarely see a musket in the field. They are so small that they need to stay hidden out of the way of other predatory birds. The average musket weighs only about 100 grams!! Thats lighter than a Jack (male) merlin.
They also have a grey/blue color to their backs when they are adults. Similar to a male Coopers hawk. They have a very small beak and their eyes appear to be sticking out of their heads due to the small head size. I have attached a few pics of a musket I had 15 years ago.
You can see the obvious blue/grey color and the small toes and tarsus. 
Also a musket would rarely take a bird as big as a starling.  Starlings are pretty strong for their size and scream and fight back when captured so a musket wouldn't go for one unless he was very desperate. Even a trained one doesn't like to tackel a starling. They prefer sparrows and wrens. You can see how small he is compared to a white crown sparrow in this frame
Hope this helps  

Excellent shot Karl.