hawks

Swainson’s Hawks Along the Road

By |2021-03-31T04:18:16-05:00May 16th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are so many Swainson's Hawks in northern Utah right now, I see them perched, on their nests, hovering over fields and soaring on the thermals after the sun warms up the air.

Two Months of Photographing a Cooperative Northern Harrier

By |2021-04-10T07:23:32-05:00May 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There was a very cooperative first spring male Northern Harrier in a location where I photographed Short-eared Owls last year in northern Utah and for two months I could reliably see and photograph it frequently.

Molting One-Year-Old Red-tailed Hawk

By |2023-11-07T02:19:40-06:00May 9th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I also keep images of birds that look a bit messy because they are molting even if they aren't up to my standards, like this one-year-old Red-tailed Hawk that was rapidly molting the end of July in 2015.

Light Morph Swainson’s Hawk with Different Backgrounds and Distances

By |2021-03-31T14:33:05-05:00May 2nd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I always try to pay attention to what is going on in the background of my photos because by changing distance or angles the same bird, like this Swainson's Hawk, can look very different in my images.

Photographing Swainson’s Hawks in Northern Utah

By |2021-04-27T04:31:49-05:00April 23rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning in northern Utah I saw about a dozen Swainson's Hawks in about 2.25 miles, some were perched, some were in flight and all of them were wonderful to photograph.

Turkey Vultures at a Corral, Hillside Canada Goose and a Red-tailed Hawk Fly Over

By |2024-02-14T06:22:42-06:00April 11th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Canada Geese, Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning was bright and sunny and I had fun photographing Turkey Vultures at a corral, a hillside Canada Goose and a Red-tailed Hawk flying over with nesting materials in northern Utah.

My First of Year Swainson’s Hawk and April Snow on Antelope Island

By |2021-03-16T15:14:58-05:00April 10th, 2017|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Swainson's Hawks, Utah, Wildlife|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My best find of the day was my first of the year Swainson's Hawk about two thirds of the way down the island perched in some trees near a freshwater spring.

Cinnamon Teal, Short-eared Owl & Red-Tailed Hawk – A Nice Mixture of Birds

By |2021-04-04T13:15:19-05:00April 5th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Cinnamon Teals, Red-tailed Hawks, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It felt great to photograph a nice mixture of birds yesterday and and to be out enjoying the beautiful scenery of northern Utah. Life is good.

Pair of Red-tailed Hawks Mating – A Wild 34 Seconds

By |2021-05-26T04:14:29-05:00March 30th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

What I didn't expect yesterday was that I would be able to photograph the Red-tailed Hawks mating on the lichen-covered outcropping but that is what happened

Foggy Morning Red-tailed Hawks & Turkey Vulture

By |2020-03-23T07:11:39-05:00March 27th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It wasn't "partly sunny" as predicted but I enjoyed myself while photographing the Turkey Vulture and Red-tailed Hawks on a foggy morning even though it tested my skills and techniques.

Cooper’s Hawk Takes Flight in Northern Utah

By |2024-03-16T12:22:03-05:00March 12th, 2017|Categories: Box Elder County, Cooper’s Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Cooper's Hawk took flight without much warning at all and for a second I lost it while tracking the hawk but regained focus as it flew south past me.

Winter Clashes With Spring – Seasonal Changes Make Bird Photography Interesting

By |2020-03-25T08:15:57-05:00March 6th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Western Kingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Winter is clashing with spring right now in northern Utah and those seasonal changes can make bird photography interesting.

American White Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes, Swainson’s Hawks – Spring Migrants On The Wing

By |2021-03-02T13:56:20-06:00February 19th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Bicknell Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Birds, Box Elder County, Sandhill Cranes, Swainson's Hawks, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

We still have our winter birds and the spring migrants have begun their journey north so my bird photography is likely to pick up and get exciting soon if the clouds will give me a break.

Immature Rough-legged Hawk With Its Jackrabbit Prey

By |2024-02-25T02:04:14-06:00February 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My best bird of the day was a juvenile Rough-legged Hawk standing on a jackrabbit in the snow that I spotted next to the road.

Rough-legged Hawk, Lichens and Snow

By |2021-11-06T08:00:21-05:00February 6th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I photographed this Rough-legged Hawk on a snow and lichen covered rock the light was decent and brought out the colors of the hawk and the orange lichen covering the rocky outcropping it was perched on.

Rough-legged Hawk on a Designated Parking Sign

By |2021-11-06T08:03:28-05:00January 23rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Many of the birds here in the Salt Lake Valley find a place to roost in the evening and overnight frost begins to accumulate on their feathers like it did on this Rough-legged Hawk on a parking sign.

Photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay

By |2021-10-12T06:16:25-05:00January 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Almost three years ago today I spent time photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay that was hunting in a snowy field while using a nest box as a perch to watch for prey.

Frustrations of Bird Photography at Below Freezing Temps – Heat Waves Suck

By |2022-01-03T07:09:58-06:00January 7th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Every single image I took yesterday was way softer than they would have been had it not been for those heat waves coming up the side of the pickup. To say I was disappointed is putting it lightly.

First year Red-tailed Hawk Close Up in a Snow Storm

By |2022-10-04T07:41:10-05:00December 26th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This first year Red-tailed Hawk close up in the snow storm was a reminder of how much our birds and wildlife have to struggle to get through the harsh winter.

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawks – Photographing Raptors Near Interstates

By |2022-10-04T07:40:21-05:00December 1st, 2016|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are natural perches along the access roads right next to the interstate and if I am lucky I can find raptors perched there on occasion too.

Interesting Ferruginous Hawk Horizontal Take Off – It Made Me Laugh

By |2021-09-23T14:20:30-05:00November 16th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have to say that when I viewed this image on my monitor of the Ferruginous Hawk taking off from the power pole yesterday that I laughed out loud.

Partially Leucistic Adult Red-tailed Hawk in Flight – A Rare and Wonderful Sight!

By |2023-01-03T03:08:03-06:00November 15th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Leucistic, Rarities, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the partially leucistic Red-tailed Hawk lifted off from the power pole I was able to capture photos of it in flight and I was stunned by the beauty of the hawk, pictures do not do this bird justice.

Juvenile Northern Harrier Female in Flight Over Farmington Bay

By |2021-04-10T03:59:44-05:00November 9th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday at Farmington Bay I was pleased to photograph this juvenile Northern Harrier female in flight as she went past me while I sat in a mobile blind.

Red-tailed Hawk fluttering its wings

By |2022-10-04T07:25:46-05:00October 29th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I took this image of a Red-tailed Hawk fluttering its wings on a pole in Box Elder County earlier this month I didn't think I'd like it and I am still not sure if I do.

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