Adult Red-tailed Hawk With A Snake In The West Desert

Adult Red-tailed Hawk with a snake in grasses – Nikon D500, f5.6, 1/8000, ISO 1000, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Last week I shared a photo of a Warbling Vireo and fall colors that I photographed on a rushed trip out into the West Desert and in that post I mentioned that on my way down the mountain that I stopped long enough to photograph a Red-tailed Hawk with a snake before I headed home. Today I want to share two images of that Red-tailed Hawk with the snake.

In that vireo post I mentioned that I was rushed and that I don’t like to rush or be rushed when I am out in the field. Until I am actually headed home on the Interstate I like to take as much time as possible scanning the sky, ground, trees, rocks and grasses for birds and animals as I can. That is how I found this Red-tailed Hawk.

I noticed immediately that the Red-tailed Hawk was on prey because I saw it tearing into something despite the grasses that were partially obstructing my view. I drove east of the hawk, turned my Jeep around and drove west to park along the side of the dusty road before I realized the hawk had a snake.

The light angle wasn’t great and the setting was messy but I watched as the hawk tore into the snake with its back to me for a minute or two before the hawk turned more towards me.

I should explain my settings for these images. The birds I was photographing prior to the hawk were in a heavily forested and shaded area where I needed every bit of shutter speed I could get thus the high ISO. I didn’t think about changing my settings when I pulled up on the hawk and I should have but I was feeling rushed. Rushed to photograph the hawk and rushed to get home.

Red-tailed Hawk lifting off with a snake in its talons – Nikon D500, f5.6, 1/8000, ISO 1000, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

And I felt even more rushed when I saw a pickup in my rear view mirror rumbling up the road behind me. Over the years I have learned that some birds will tolerate one vehicle parked near them but will flush if more come along and as I watched the hawk though my viewfinder I could see that it was becoming anxious as the pickup barreled towards us.

It came as no surprise to me that when the pickup was about 100 feet away from the rear end of my Jeep the Red-tailed Hawk grabbed the snake and lifted off. With its back towards me.

My guess is that the hawk felt rushed too. I watched as the Red-tailed Hawk landed near a large boulder in the field of grasses and decided that I would leave it alone to finish its meal in peace.

Then I turned my Jeep around and headed home so I could take the phone call that had made me feel under pressure all morning long.

Life is good.

Mia

By the way, I believe the prey the hawk had was a Gopher Snake.

Click here to see more of my Red-tailed Hawk photos plus  facts and information about this species.