Amazing, for really not seeing what you were shooting. I am totally jealous, you are not only talented, but lucky. Very nice combination.
Well, at least the bird new it was a camera appearing in the grass and posed for it. ;)

Astonishing image! The texture and colors are wonderful. Excellent work!

Paul, my good friend...will you tell me when you next put the lottery on...I want to be next to that Lucky 'B' when it comes up for him!!!!
This is unbelievable..how lucky can a chap get!...poking his wee camera over a wall...and whoops, look what I snapped!.....exceptionally brilliant shot pal..it would never happen again, in a thousand years.....Jealously! well done....Bob

Ditto to what Bob said.....I like his way with words. What an amazing bird!

luck fafors the prepared , great pic.

Such things never happen to ordinary people! Some people have all the luck... :-)

A likely tale! Come, now, Paul, this is a shot of a bird in a zoo, staked to the spot so he has no choice to to "pose" for you!

Incredible.

Anastasia

Hello, pretty birdie.. How nice of you to let my friend take your photo.. Good bird.. Now you can fly away..

Don't you know by now it isn't luck? It's you! They know you'll capture their majesty, so they pose. This is quite wonderul, Paul.

You have got to be the luckiest person I know when it comes to photography- even when you don't know what you're taking, it comes out a winner! Very nice and thank you for sharing such a beautiful close-up of this bird.

WOW... for a blind fast shot.. its perfect.... fantastic detail and very very clear, looks like he's seen the camera... well done.... luvs it

What a most magnificient bird this is! Just simply beautiful. Oh Paul, you are so fortunate to be able to see this and then to "happen to" get such a wonderful photo. He is so royal looking, so majestic. Thank you a million times for sharing this beauty with us. I envy you for being able to have seen this bird...I would love to have an enlargement of this to frame and hang up..He is gracing my desktop right now..and will be there for a good while....thank you again my dear friend..verena

Lucky isn't the word! What an incredible shot/incredible bird! Fantastic Paul! Vicky

Wow, 33 views and 13 comments already! I feel superfluous :-] Well, it's a beautiful picture as always, sharp and detailed and taken at just the right moment.

Well Paul, obviously you were in the right place at the right time to get this shot! Good thing you are not a hunter or this bird would be....well, you know :(......poor thing fell from a tree? I wonder if it is a young bird or if it was fighting? Anyway, this is of course another one of your classic captures......excellent clarity, good color, high quality and perfect composition even if you were shooting blind! ;=)...downloaded to my favorites folder on my hard drive and into my screen saver slide show folder. Thanks for posting.

Do you work for a birds review, or something like that???
Congratulations for this great entry, Paul !

Amazing story Paul, but it was all worth it. The shot couldn't just come out better. There is something about your name that makes all the birds comfortable when you are around. The capture is clear and crisp and it is hard to believe the composition is a random one. I am impressed!

What a gorgeous creature!
Lucky you!
JuneBug

What a cute baby!! Only you could be so lucky!!!!! :-) :-)

Great capture. Sharply focused on a majestic subject.

Wow. When you become enthusiastic for take photos even birds fall down in front of you. Amazing world this is :) Your crawling has not let you down Paul since this is one hell of a shot.

I'm with Dunnstinkin. Would you pahleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze pick my next lottery numbers?
But...but...am I to buy this wild tale of how this shot came about? The durn bird fell out of the sky and plummited behind a wall...you snuck your camera up and over the wall without seeing what you were shooting? And you want me to believe that you got this incredible, perfectly focused, exquistitly detailed, wonderfully framed.....b-b-b-b-b-b-ird?
Aha, aha, hee,hee, ho, ho, hee (I can't hold it back any longer).....rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroar...
That's the (hee,hee) best laugh (ha,ha) I have (oh snicker) had in a long (snicker, snicker) time hee, hee....

Only one thing bugs me...I don't think anybody could make up a story like that...............therefore.........................pahleeze pick my lottory numbers!!!!!
Pat

Perfect...congratulations.

Wow.... he's got feathery legs. :P

I really must bow down to your image... Lady Luck must really like you ;) I barely see birds of prey even from far away and you manage to get this... yeah: wow. Sharp and it has character... Something to have on a best-seller fantasy book...

A broad-winged hawk?????????? Looks like it to me! Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great job, Paul!

Grass and "WHAT AN AWSOME BIRD"! Great detail and composition!!
Lucky capture ;) Great work!!

Fantastic shot well done !! Such a beautiful bird thanks for sharing :)

Auline

Wow! What a fantastic capture. Moving slow and gentle pays off again. Great image.
Russ

Holy Cow! It's an amazing photo without the story of how you captured the image, but the story leaves me slack-jawed. It's a great photo. Well done.

Wow, Thats so cool! And the Bird is so beautiful! It looks like he/she posed just for you!
Great Capture!

-Cat

Wow, very nice indeed!

Sweet shot and man are you lucky Keep up your luck and good work :)

I think good photographers get lucky like that. Beautiful and regal bird. Great shot.

That’s a wonderful photo Paul. The way you got it is astonishing, I think you better buy some lottery tickets while your luck’s in.

Gewoon fantastisch Paul,zeker de hoge ranking waard...