{"id":10025,"date":"2013-10-30T05:06:07","date_gmt":"2013-10-30T11:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=10025"},"modified":"2025-09-30T09:24:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T14:24:22","slug":"rough-legged-hawk-on-a-foggy-winter-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/10\/30\/rough-legged-hawk-on-a-foggy-winter-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Rough-legged Hawk on a foggy winter day"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk on a foggy winter day – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/1600, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 257mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

I mention possible<\/em> because on the way to Bear River NWR’s<\/span><\/a> auto tour route there was a Rough-legged Hawk perched on a tree on the north side of the river.<\/p>\n

On the way out I spotted a Roughie in flight about a half a mile away from that location and the bird that had been perched had left the tree.<\/p>\n

So it may have been the same bird, or may not have been, since all the Rough-legged Hawks seemed to be on the move.<\/p>\n

I was dancing around in my seat seeing the Rough-legged Hawks again. They aren’t here in Utah for long because they only winter here.<\/p>\n

Last winter their population numbers didn’t seem as high here in the Salt Lake Valley as in previous years and that may have been due in part to a crash in the vole population.<\/p>\n

Because it was such a harsh winter with thick snow on the ground for long periods which made it difficult for any of the vole eating raptors to locate food.<\/p>\n

The Rough-legged Hawk above was photographed in December of 2011 when the Roughies were in the valley in high numbers.<\/p>\n

How many will I see this winter? That remains to be seen but I am excited all the same. The Rough-legged Hawks are back!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my Rough-legged Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158601,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[511,27,1022,1087,26],"tags":[2663,4275,2497,4052,4122,4175,3984,4169,4067,2670,153,1648,373,4193],"class_list":["post-10025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-rough-legged-hawks","category-utah","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-lagopus","tag-buteos","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-fog","tag-foggy","tag-hawks","tag-immature","tag-light-morph","tag-raptors","tag-rough-legged-hawk","tag-winter","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t