Hawks, Eagles, Ospreys and Vultures

How I Found My First Of Season Rough-legged Hawks

By |2021-11-06T06:02:36-05:00November 6th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Common Ravens, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was a very memorable first of year sighting of these Rough-legged Hawks. The kind where you sit there wondering if you really saw what you saw.

Happy Halloween From The Headless Hawk

By |2021-10-31T15:10:28-05:00October 31st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Our eyes can play tricks on us and that is what happened with this "headless" Red-tailed Hawk that I photographed last October at Farmington Bay WMA.

Ferruginous Hawk In The Changing Light Of Dawn

By |2021-10-22T05:30:28-05:00October 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first bird photos that I took yesterday morning in the desert were of a Ferruginous Hawk perched on a fence post in pre-dawn light.

On The Lookout For My First Of Season Rough-legged Hawk

By |2022-04-26T09:25:16-05:00October 13th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I am now on the lookout for my first of season Rough-legged Hawk. I hope to spot one soon.

Dark and light morph Red-tailed Hawk Photos

By |2021-10-09T06:00:23-05:00October 9th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Red-tailed Hawk Pre-flight Poop Shot

By |2021-09-25T05:44:58-05:00September 25th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the Red-tailed Hawk took a pre-flight poop I thought I'd get my chance at those lift off and flight photos.

Immature Light Morph Ferruginous Hawk

By |2021-09-22T05:19:38-05:00September 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday on the last full day of summer I found a couple of hawks in the West Desert including this immature light morph Ferruginous Hawk.

Immature Light Morph Red-tailed Hawk Plus A Dark Morph Adult

By |2021-09-19T05:36:07-05:00September 19th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I spotted the light colored breast of this immature light morph Red-tailed Hawk from a distance it seemed to glow in the morning light.

Late Summer Turkey Vulture And Common Sunflowers

By |2021-09-16T05:29:32-05:00September 16th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I found an adult Turkey Vulture perched on a metal pipe with a field of sunflowers below and it behind it. I liked the pop of yellow in my photos of this bird.

More West Desert Red-tailed Hawk Images

By |2022-09-11T04:41:51-05:00September 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I went out into the West Desert yesterday and came back with more Red-tailed Hawk images that I was delighted to have taken and that I am happy with.

Cooperative West Desert Red-tailed Hawk

By |2022-09-11T04:43:49-05:00September 13th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I photographed a very cooperative adult Red-tailed Hawk that was next to a road in the West Desert of Utah on a smoky morning.

Adult Red-tailed Hawk Lifting Off

By |2021-09-15T04:47:54-05:00September 11th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It didn't take long before the Red-tailed Hawk raised its wings to lift off from the juniper with a smoky blue sky in the background.

Poppies, Birds, Trees, Butterflies And A Smoky Haze

By |2023-08-18T12:13:26-05:00August 5th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Flatbud Prickly Poppy, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Trees, Utah, Weidemeyer's Admiral Butterflies, West Desert, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first time I raised my lens yesterday morning it was for blooming Prickly Poppies that were along the shoulder of the bumpy gravel road.

Turkey Vulture, An Aspen And A Smoky Haze

By |2021-07-15T04:57:59-05:00July 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The last bird I photographed high in the Wasatch Mountains three days ago was an adult Turkey Vulture perched in an aspen in a smoky haze.

The Price I Paid For These Red-tailed Hawk Chick Photos

By |2022-11-14T05:40:29-06:00June 14th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I went up to northern Utah hoping to take photos of some Red-tailed Hawk chicks that I know will soon be leaving their nest and I found them.

Recent Birds I’ve Found In The West Desert

By |2024-02-26T10:14:55-06:00May 31st, 2021|Categories: Birds, House Wrens, Lazuli Buntings, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, West Desert, Western Kingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I made two trips out to the West Desert and today I am sharing a medley of recent birds that I found while I was out there.

Utah’s Ospreys Are Back For Their Nesting Season

By |2024-03-14T16:28:36-05:00April 1st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Daggett County, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Florida, Honeymoon Island State Park, Ospreys, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was hoping to find my first of the year Swainson's Hawks yesterday but instead I spotted my first of year Ospreys. 

Spring Turkey Vulture And A View From The Road

By |2024-03-20T12:46:31-05:00March 28th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I was able to photograph a spring Turkey Vulture warming up in the morning light from a rural road in Box Elder County.

Mated Red-tailed Hawk Pair

By |2021-03-22T05:33:30-05:00March 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I spotted and photographed a mated Red-tailed Hawk pair on the branches of a tree in front of a cliff in early morning light.

It Is Red-tailed Hawk Nesting Season

By |2022-04-27T07:40:31-05:00March 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Red-tailed Hawk nesting season has started in northern Utah and I found a few pairs yesterday morning that have already gotten busy with nest building.

Signs Of Spring – First Turkey Vulture Sighting Report

By |2021-03-12T05:49:28-06:00March 12th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday afternoon I received an email from the UBird Google group with a first of the year Turkey Vulture sighting and that got me excited. 

West Desert Male Rough-legged Hawk

By |2022-04-20T21:21:32-05:00March 3rd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning  was clear, bright, chilly, and I spent ten minutes photographing an adult male Rough-legged Hawk that I found in the West Desert.

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