West Desert Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk

Nearly three years have passed since I found, pointed out, and photographed this stunning dark morph Ferruginous Hawk in the West Desert of Utah.

West Desert dark morph Ferruginous Hawk – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 800, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Several weeks ago I found another dark morph Ferruginous Hawk in the same area. I couldn’t get photos of it because was simply too far away. That Ferruginous Hawk reminded me of this bird and the day I found it perched on a wooden post.

I don’t find dark morph Ferruginous Hawks all that frequently. More often than not I find the light morphs of this species so it is a big deal for me to find a dark morph. I was super excited to find his one in such gorgeous light. This handsome hawk took my breath away.

Dark morph Ferruginous Hawk lifting one foot – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 800, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

I took just over 350 photos of this dark morph Ferruginous Hawk that morning from a couple of spots along the road. This particular image was taken just before the hawk lifted off and flew over the sage and rabbitbrush dotted foothills.

This handsome hawk was the only bird that I found and photographed that day.

Stansbury mountain peak in the clouds – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/5000, ISO 800, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Later in the morning clouds moved in and hung over the mountain peaks. I took a few long distance photos of the views before my eyes. I loved the light snow on the conifers and how the clouds conveyed an almost mysterious mood to this image.

Life is good.

Mia

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