Hitch hiken

[GIShawks]

Saw this photo on another forum and though it was pretty interesting. Have no idea where it originated or when. Though I would share it none the less. Probably not so much hick hiking as harassing, wouldn’t you all say?

http://brokecode.com/~ray/ride.jpg

[Chris L.]

clapp Jason, that is great

[Takasho]

Awesome photo! clapp clapp clapp

[chris kimble]

probably another one of those random shots that would look totally different if you could see the entire series. None the less, the pair seem to be relatively content with themselves in the photoconfusedd Thanks for sharing!

[threetoe]

Looks like a "PhotoShop" job to me.

[sevristh]

It's completely and obviously Photoshopped. Pictures like this are one of the biggest downsides to the invention of the internet. This one is relatively harmless, but with the advancement of technology, you get people making pictures that put completely false ideas into peoples head whether it be about political issues, personal issues, whatever...

If you want to know WHY I say it's fake, look at the blackbird... not a feather out of place, and looking down, even though to be soaring the hawk IS flying and therefore there would be WIND. Secondly (and usually most telling about fake photos) the shadow is totally unrealistic looking. Compare the shadow from the deck feather to the neighboring feather of the hawk to the HUGE shadow of the blackbird, not to mention the angle it's being cast at. crazyy

Lastly, have you EVER seen a RT that would be completely comfortable with a small birds talons buried in it's back? Come on people...

[Bryant Tarr]

Hmmmmmmm....it's not obvious to me. I've had a red-winged blackbird land on my head and pound on my skull when too close to its nest. I can buy this photo as an instant in time that just looks like the bird is riding. The shadows looks plausible at least, but I'll grant you...it could easily be a fake. But it is plausible.

[chris kimble]

This doesnt look photoshoped at all to me. The focus on both birds is consistant. The shadows look natural, and if you look at the tips of the black birds primaries and the edges of the tail you can see that they are curled up from momentum. Also, the blackbird is "on its knees" but in a way that, to me, suggests it is in the middle of some motion (most likely slamming into the hawk) and its wings just happened to be drawn in at the moment the photo was taken.

I vote that this is a mobbing caught on film! I've seen too many goofy looking poses in other action shots of birds in flight to think this is a fake. Its just a funny shot IMO!

[awahl]

Im guessing that the shadow looks big due to the tail being fanned out. Kinda looks like it from my perspective anyway. If it were photoshopped, there would be a seatbelt on the blackbird.

[MikeT307]

Looks like a "PhotoShop" job to me.

I work with photoshop every day and I would disagree. The jpeg artifacts (noise around the edges of the birds) are consistent. The shadow behind the blackbird does look to be more "square" then I would have thought, but if it's tail is open to stabilize, the shadow could have that shape. If it's a photoshop job someone did a good job on it.

[chamokane]

I have no idea whether the pic is PhotoShoped or not, but the situation is believable. RW Blackbirds are certainly aggressive enough to land on a RT's back. Eastern Kingbirds used to land on my Harris Hawk's back and ride for quite a ways while pulling feathers out of the back of her head. The HH tried to ignore them and it wouldn't have been too hard to get a shot like that.