Light morph Rough-legged Hawk perched on a juniper – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
I took my first decent Rough-legged Hawk photos for this winter yesterday morning while out wandering around looking for birds to photograph. I spotted this hawk from a long distance and wasn’t able to get close to it at all because it was perched on a Utah Juniper that wasn’t at all close to the road but I enjoyed the setting with the hawk perched on a juniper that was loaded with berries and the distant mountains in the background.
There were only a few junipers nearby which made it easier for me spot him on the juniper and to point him out.
Light morph male Rough-legged Hawk lifting off from a juniper – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
There was a stiff breeze blowing and when the light morph Rough-legged Hawk lifted off from the juniper it seemed to me as if he did it in slow motion. I like how the juniper anchors the frame here which gives me and anyone else viewing this photo a hint of the habitat I found him in.
Light morph male Rough-legged Hawk flying over a juniper – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
After the second photo above I had a little trouble with focusing and there were two frames of the Rough-legged Hawk that weren’t sharp at all and by the time I locked back on the hawk had started to turn away from me but I thought I would share this photo because of the spread of the wings and tail of the hawk.
The weather here is changing and I have a week of rain, snow and cloudy skies in the forecast that may keep me grounded for a bit but that may mean some snowy photos of the birds I find closer to home and I am excited about the possibilities.
Life is good.
Mia
The grace and power of the hawk is beautifully captured in these images.Thanks Mia.
The third one is my favorite, for the reason you stated. It is a great view of the marking of the white morph (which I’ve never seen).
WHAT a beauty – and some stunning shots too.
Thank you.
Fabulous banking shot! Looking forward to seeing your snowy photographs. 🙂
Beautiful bird. That last image could be a wall-hanger! Nicely done.
Besides the Gyr Falcon, a Roughy is one of my favorites. Great shots, especially the last one. The extension of those wings gives a beautiful feeling of power and lift.