Resting dark morph Red-tailed Hawk on a cliff face – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
I almost missed finding this adult dark morph Red-tailed Hawk last Sunday because when I first spotted the hawk he was behind a tree in dark shadows but I recognized the shape and form of the raptor. By the time I got back to the hawk it had moved up the cliff into the light where it was easy to see him.
I say ‘him’ because even though he was fluffed up because of the chill in the air he was smaller and more slender than the next Red-tailed Hawk I found nearby. I believe that these two red tails are mates because they hang around together and I even saw them perched side by side from a long distance near a nesting site that I have photographed for several years.
Resting light morph Red-tailed Hawk on a desert cliff face – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
About 40 minutes after finding the dark morph hawk I found this light morph Red-tailed Hawk perched high on a desert cliff face on the other side of the cliff. It is easy to see how easily this light morph Red-tailed Hawk blends into her desert habitat while she was resting.
Light morph Red-tailed Hawk adult after lift off – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
In flight she was easier to see. In this photo she had just lifted off from her lichen covered perch and was heading towards the east.
Adult Red-tailed Hawk flying past desert cliffs – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
Even though the light morph Red-tailed Hawk has many of the same hues and colors as the cliffs behind her she stood out well from them in flight especially with her wings in the upright position.
Red-tailed Hawk flying to a higher cliff face – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
After I took this last photo the light morph Red-tailed Hawk flew up to the top of the highest part of the cliff where because of the steep angle she was difficult to photograph. About 10 to 15 minutes later when I was on the other side of the cliff and up the road is when I saw the dark and light morph hawks perched on the top of the cliff together.
Next spring I may be able to watch this pair building their nest and raising their young. I know that I will be looking for them.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Red-tailed Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.
So cool. What a beautiful, majestic, bird. This set of shots is simply terrific. Thanks Mia.
Marvellous. And I hope that you can see them building their nest and raising their young too.
As you have said, life is good, but being outside to enjoy Mother Natures creations makes it complete. Great shots