Ferruginous Hawk in grasses – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
I was thrilled to photograph this Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) last month in Beaverhead County while on a journey to southwestern Montana last month, in fact this hawk was the last bird I took images of on that trip.
I love to say Ferruginous, I like the way the R’s roll off of my tongue and how saying it makes me giggle.
The hawk had been on a fencepost and it dove down into the grasses after prey, it must have missed because when it flew up to perch on a post again its talons were empty.
Ferruginous Hawk perched on a fencepost – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
Ferruginous Hawks are the largest hawks found in North America. They inhabit low elevation, open areas in the western United States and some locations in southwestern Canada and winter in southwestern US and Mexico. They nest in trees and on the ground.
Ferruginous Hawk in flight – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
Ferruginous Hawks prey on rabbits, hares, prairie dogs, ground squirrels and when those prey items are scarce they will also eat fledgling birds, reptiles and amphibians. They have a lifespan of up to 20 years.
I haven’t yet seen or photographed the dark form of the Ferruginous Hawk, I hope that I will be able to do that sometime soon.
Mia
*I am away for a while so I scheduled this post ahead of time, please feel free to share with family & friends.
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) wing lift Nikon D300, f5.6, 1/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
Back in November I had the opportunity to photograph this Ferruginous Hawk in the west desert of Utah, the hawk was very wary so I was unable to make as close of an approach as I would have liked. The day was hazy and slightly overcast from some high thin clouds, I really didn’t have the best of conditions but that never seems to keep me from testing my skills. The Ferruginous Hawk was perched on an old fencepost that had a lot of character because it was weatherworn and it wasn’t a manufactured post. In the photo above the hawk was lifting its wings not to take flight but to stretch them.
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) getting balanced on perch Nikon D300, f5.6, 1/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
After the wing lift the hawk had a bit of a time getting balanced on the post again so it fluttered its wings as its feet gripped the uneven surface of the post. That gave me a nice view of the rusty colored feathered legs, they remind me of old fashioned jodhpurs that horseback riders used to wear which were very loose at the thigh and tight around the lower legs.
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) preparing for lift off Nikon D300, f5.6, 1/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
There aren’t many people in the west desert of Utah thus the raptors and other birds that live there are not habituated to people so they are very skittish even when using a mobile blind. In less than a minute after gaining its balance on the old fence post this regal raptor decided to lift off and fly out over the grassy, sagebrush covered plain to the east.
I love the quiet found in the west desert, the whispering of the grasses in a slight breeze and the wide open skies.
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) lift off Nikon D300, f5.6, 1/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited
When the Ferruginous Hawk first lifted off it had its face turned slightly away from me but it did give me this one final image that had a nice look at its eye and a wonderful view of those beautifully colored feathered legs.
I wish the light had been a bit better that day but Ferruginous Hawks are year round residents here so I’ll just look for more opportunities to photograph the handsome hawks.
Ferruginous Hawk with wings up Tooele County, Utah Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/4000, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up
I love to say “Ferruginous”, I’m not sure exactly why but I think it is a fun word to pronounce, especially when I roll the “R’s”. Yes, it is probably a little odd to enjoy saying it so much but I don’t apologize for it! I love to say “Flammulated” too.
Ferruginous Hawks (Buteo regalis) are the largest hawks found in North America, the “regalis” in the latin name means “kingly” or “regal” and I have to agree with those descriptions. The English name; “Ferruginous”, means “rusty” and that also describes some of this hawk’s coloring very well.
Bad timing Tooele County, Utah Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 355mm, natural light, not baited or set up
Ferruginous Hawks are found in western North America in terrains from grasslands to open deserts. I often see them perched on utility poles, old snags, on top of sagebrush bushes or where I often find this species in Tooele County, on top of a small weather reporting station. My bad timing allowed the weather station to still be obvious in the photo above but these large raptors do take off quick and I wanted a series of shots as it lifted off, this was the first frame of that series.
I haven’t had the best of luck getting quality photos of this species, it seems that quite often they take off facing away from me and I like having eye contact with my subject. Once I spotted one slowly flying in to where I stood but alas I didn’t have my camera in hand. I told a friend to grab his camera and he got some decent images whilst I got nothing but a great view of the Ferruginous flying low and slow over my head. I hope my luck changes. Or I’ll need to seriously consider spending a lot of time waiting where I know I see these raptors.
Ferruginous Hawk with wings on a down beat Tooele County, Utah
Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up
Yesterday I found this Ferruginous perched twice on the weather station so I was able to get two series of lift off shots and was quite pleased to have those opportunities. I like that the image above shows the “rusty” plumage on the wing, shoulder and back of this gorgeous hawk. I have not seen the dark morph of this species yet though I understand they are equally as stunning as the light morph.
Any time I see a Ferruginous (rolling my “R’s”) Hawk, they take my breath away
Mia
Rough-legged Hawk preening
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Photographing a Tricolored Heron from a tidal lagoon
