Scruffy sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk
Seriously, I wish I understood more about molting with many of the raptors including Swainson's Hawk and perhaps if I ever find some free time I will attempt to study molt patterns more closely.
Red-tailed Hawk Adult At Farmington Bay WMA
I was happy that I found this adult Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay WMA and that it did lift off after a bit because as handsome as they can be perched they are even more beautiful On The Wing.
Adult Red-tailed Hawk and Photoshop Editing
I wouldn't license this Red-tailed Hawk image for print because it has been altered but I like the image without the wires.
Red-tailed Hawks – Mates for Life
For several years now I have been observing and photographing a mated pair of Red-tailed Hawks in the Centennial Valley of southwestern Montana that have a favorite perch that I often see them on.
Dorsal View Of A Rough-legged Hawk In Flight
I woke up to a fine layer of snow on the ground this morning and silly as it may sound that gets me excited for the birds that over winter in the Salt Lake Valley such as this Rough-legged Hawk.
Rough-legged Hawk on a foggy winter day
This past Sunday I saw my first of the season Rough-legged Hawks and I was absolutely thrilled. There were definitely five different birds and a possible sixth.
Red-tailed Hawk perched above Elk Lake, Montana
This past September I spotted an adult Red-tailed Hawk perched high on a rocky canyon wall as it looked out over the cold waters of Elk Lake in Beaverhead County, Montana.
Wishful Thinking And A Rough-legged Hawk
Two years ago I photographed this Rough-legged Hawk with a vole in its talons as it flew along the causeway to Antelope Island State Park with the Great Salt Lake in the background.
Dark Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk On The Wing
Quite often I don't have much time at all to get ready to take images because you need to get close to the subject, find a good angle of light and make sure your camera settings will produce the best image for the conditions.
It Snowed In The Salt Lake Valley Yesterday…
And it won't be long before I am photographing wildlife in drifts of snow and birds on perches covered in white.
Playing Favorites – Rough-legged Hawk
Rough-legged Hawks are on their way south from their Arctic breeding grounds and will soon be making their appearance here in Utah.
Red-tailed Hawk Juveniles On The Wing
One of the Red-tailed Hawk juveniles I photographed on Antelope Island last year has "migrated" to Switzerland where my photo of it will be featured on a 5 x 15 meter billboard for a yacht company.
The Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk That Saved My Day
Yesterday was frustrating for me near Snowville, Utah because there were raptors all around but not many of them were close enough to photograph and the ones that were close were either vey skittish or wouldn't fly off of the power poles even after long periods of time.
Red-tailed Hawk On The Red Rocks Of The Centennial Valley – Finally!
Since my first visit to the Centennial Valley of Montana on June 18, 2010 I have wanted to photograph a bird; preferably a raptor, on the reddish orange lichen covered rocks found throughout the valley. On this last trip that finally happened!
Red-shouldered Hawk from Sawgrass Lake Park, Florida
There are five recognized subspecies of Red-shouldered Hawks with the Florida Red-shouldered Hawks having the palest heads and plumage. I believe this Red-shouldered Hawk adult is from the Florida race, Buteo lineatus extimus.
The Summer of Swainson’s Is Nearing An End
It won't be long before Swainson's Hawks start to migrate to South America and some may already have started their journey south.
Frustrations in Bird Photography – Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk
The dark morph Ferruginous Hawk above had just lifted off from a power pole when I photographed it with a partly cloudy sky in the background.
Young Red-tailed Hawk
Last month while up in Montana I saw this young Red-tailed Hawk just standing in the road looking around and not acting the least bit concerned about the pickup or the two large lens that were pointed at it.
On the Wing Photography has landed in its new home!
Like this handsome Ferruginous Hawk that I photographed in the centennial Valley of Montana... On The Wing Photography has landed!
What Is The Last Thing A Jackrabbit Might See – A Ferruginous Hawk
Ferruginous Hawks west of the Continental Divide prefer rabbits as prey so what you see here might be the last thing a Cottontail or Jackrabbit might see.
Ragged Red-tailed Hawk In Molt
Many of the adult Red-tailed Hawks that I saw and photographed in southwestern Montana on my last trip had worn feathers and were molting.
Two different Swainson’s Hawks
Red-tailed Hawks have the most variable plumages of North American hawks but Swainson's Hawks are also pretty variable, there are light morphs, intermediate morphs and dark morphs.
Simple Red-tailed Hawk photo from Montana
This adult Red-tailed flew by at close range which gave me a very nice view of the underside of its wing that shows it was also molting though it didn't look as raggedy as some of the other adult Red-tailed Hawks looked.
Swainson’s Hawk in flight over Beaverhead County, Montana
I photographed the adult Swainson's Hawk above after it had lifted off from a power pole in Beaverhead County and loved that I had thin clouds in the background which is far more pleasing to my eye than plain blue sky.
If Only I Could Fly Like This Red-tailed Hawk!
I readily admit that sometimes I daydream about being able to fly like a bird and quite often the bird I wish I were is a Red-tailed Hawk.
And We Have Lift Off!
I wanted to share some bird lift off images today so I rounded up a few that showed different styles of lift offs.
Ferruginous Hawk Pano
I love the raised wings of the Ferruginous Hawk, the bright blue sky with just a hint of clouds and the regal raptor soaring above me and the Stansbury Mountains in Tooele County, Utah
Adult Red-tailed Hawk In A Montana Sky
There are issues with this image which I will cover shortly but I really liked the pose of this Red-tailed Hawk, the spread of the wings, the flared tail and the great eye contact I was able to capture as the Red-tail looked down towards me as it flew in a bright blue Montana sky.
Red-tailed Hawks In Montana Soaking Up The Morning Light
I photographed this mated pair of Red-tailed Hawks last week in western Montana as they soaked up the warming rays of the morning sun.
Swainson’s Hawks In Montana – And The Chase Is On
I've just returned from spending six wonderful days photographing in western Montana, the weather was lovely, the scenery spectacular and the birds; as usual, were awesome including these two Swainson's Hawks.