Beaverhead County

I have Montana’s birds on my mind

By Mia McPherson, on April 14th, 2013%

Sandhill Crane in a field of wildflowers

This time of the year I start dreaming about the Centennial Valley of Montana and of the birds that call the valley home during the summer. In my mind I can hear the Sandhill Cranes and Coyotes calling as the mist rises off of the lake. And the pungent smell of Sagebrush as I move past them.

Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk in the Centennial Valley

I know that if I am lucky I will get to see hawks, eagles, owls and falcons. I enjoy seeing the hatch year hawks like this Swainson’s Hawk juvenile perched on a fence post near Red Rock Creek.

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk in the Centennial Valley

And juvenile Red-tailed Hawks warming in the light of the rising sun.

Mia

Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk expelling a pellet

By Mia McPherson, on March 10th, 2013%

Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk in flight

Last summer I was able to see and photograph a juvenile Swainson’s Hawk expelling a pellet in the Centennial Valley of Montana. The young hawk, it’s sibling and one of the adults were in the area when this hawk flew onto a fence post close to the road.

Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk

One of the things I noticed first was how the back of the neck of the immature Swainson’s Hawk seemed enlarged, that is a pretty big bump.

Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk attempting to expel a pellet

Then the juvenile hawk bent over and repeatedly opened its bill, it was fairly obvious that the hawk was struggling. The lump seemed to move slightly forward with each attempt.

Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk expelling a pellet

After several minutes the hawk expelled two rather large pellets, this frame shows the first pellet as it exits the hawk’s bill.

Wing lift after expelling pellet

When the pellet expulsion was completed the juvenile Swainson’s lifted its wings, shook itself and flew off.

Pellet that the juvie Swainson’s Hawk expelled

This is one of the pellets the hawk expelled, it consists of bones, fur and other undigested materials. Some folks might think this is gross, I see it as being as natural as this juvenile Swainson’s Hawk taking flight.

Mia

More Swainson’s Hawk images

Red-tailed Hawk adults

By Mia McPherson, on February 8th, 2013%

A pair of adult Red-tailed Hawks – Nikon D300, f9, 1/250, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

I photographed this pair of Red-tailed Hawks while enjoying Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley of Montana last summer in early morning light. These adults were being bothered by some American Kestrels so they may have been to close to the falcon’s nest or young.

Adult Red-tailed Hawk Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

I found this adult on Antelope Island State Park in Utah last September, it was near a location where I had been photographing three different juvenile Red-tailed Hawks. I like how the same rufous tones can be found in the rocks and the hawk’s plumage.

The eyes on this particular adult red-tailed seem rather light to me, normally in adults the eyes are a darker brown.

Just a few Red-tailed Hawk images that I have been meaning to process and share.

Mia

More Red-tailed Hawk images

Western Tanager male at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

By Mia McPherson, on February 7th, 2013%

Western Tanager male in breeding plumage

This is the only bird I could find in my files that had the same colors of the Flaming Hibiscus I posted earlier this morning and since I didn’t want this to be a birdless day on Onthewingphotography I worked this Western Tanager file up in a hurry.

This was photographed last summer at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley of Beaverhead County, Montana. I sure wish we had been able to get closer to this flame-colored bird, the cows there allowed us to get much closer.

Have a super day!

Mia

Juvenile Red-tailed, Rough-legged, Ferruginous and Swainson’s Hawks

By Mia McPherson, on January 27th, 2013%

Red-tailed Hawk juvenile – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

Today I thought I would post images of the juvenile Buteos that I see most often in Utah and Montana, they are Red-tailed, Rough-legged, Ferruginous and Swainson’s Hawks. The Red-tailed, Ferruginous and Swainson’s Hawks all breed in my area, the Rough-legged Hawks breed in the Arctic.

I photographed the young Red-tailed Hawk above during the summer in the Centennial Valley of Beaverhead County, Montana. It was a very cooperative bird and I was able to take quite a few images of it, I liked this image because of the way the raptor appeared to be staring intensely at something on the ground.

Rough-legged Hawk juvenile – Nikon D300, f9, 1/800, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 357mm, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

This juvenile Rough-legged Hawk was also very cooperative as it preened and fluffed on Antelope Island State Park in Davis County, Utah. This bird was photographed during the winter which is the only time I see Rough-legged Hawks in Utah and Montana.

Ferruginous Hawk juvenile – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 357mm, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

This young Ferruginous Hawk was photographed the same morning as the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk shown above in the Centennial Valley of Beaverhead County, Montana. The Ferruginous Hawk hasn’t gotten the rufous coloration to its feathered legs yet. I wish I had been closer to this juvenile as it appeared that some of the radiant heat rising from the road may have interfered with this image being as sharp as I wanted it or it may have been the pickup idling, I am not sure.

Swainson’s Hawk juvenile – Nikon D300, f8, 1/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

This juvenile Swainson’s Hawk was photographed in the Centennial Valley of Beaverhead County Montana too, nearby there was another juvenile and adult Swainson’s but they weren’t in good light like this young bird was.

I always, and I do mean always, feel privileged when I am in the presence of these magnificent raptors where I can observe them and their behaviors and photograph these amazing hawks.

Mia