{"id":117036,"date":"2023-10-14T02:10:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-14T08:10:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=117036"},"modified":"2023-10-14T05:45:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-14T11:45:50","slug":"autumn-sharp-shinned-hawk-portraits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/10\/14\/autumn-sharp-shinned-hawk-portraits\/","title":{"rendered":"Autumn Sharp-shinned Hawk Portraits"},"content":{"rendered":"

The last bird I photographed yesterday at Farmington Bay WMA was a surprise Sharp-shinned Hawk that flew in so close I could only take portraits of her or him. I believe the handsome accipiter is a him because of the overall blue-gray color of the uppersides of the bird.<\/p>\n

\"AutumnAutumn Sharp-shinned Hawk close up \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I was located in a spot where there were numerous small birds, including finches, siskins, and sparrows. The Sharp-shinned Hawk flew in, hoping for a meal, but the small birds scattered quicker than the hawk arrived.<\/p>\n

For the second time in a week, I was gobsmacked.<\/p>\n

Sharp-shinned Hawks<\/span><\/a> are birds that I don’t encounter very often, and I don’t have many photos of them in my galleries.<\/p>\n

But there was this beautiful bird perched in front of me. My camera lens was already focused on the greasewood, so all I had to do was lock focus and press the shutter button.<\/p>\n

Even though it was 10:36 in the morning, the light was still nice because, at this time of the year, the sun is lower on the horizon than it is in the summer.<\/p>\n

\"Sharp-shinnedSharp-shinned Hawk portrait at Farmington Bay WMA \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Before the gorgeous hawk flew off I was only able to take seven images of it. I couldn’t help but let out a whoop after it left because I was surprised, excited, and thoroughly delighted that all but one of my photos of this bird were sharp.<\/p>\n

I must admit that I fibbed earlier when I said I was gobsmacked for the second time in a week.<\/p>\n

In reality, this hawk was my third gobsmack in the past week. The first one involved a battle between a Belted Kingfisher and a Merlin<\/span><\/a> which I shared yesterday.<\/p>\n

Stay tuned for my second gobsmack, which will be coming soon to a device near you!<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

The last bird I photographed yesterday at Farmington Bay WMA was a surprise Sharp-shinned Hawk that flew in so close I could only take portraits of her or him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117033,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1022,697,5394,26],"tags":[5396,5397,4004,970,2663,4142,4620,1830,4033,4169,4062,4094,4104,4046,153,1831,5395,4095],"class_list":["post-117036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-sharp-shinned-hawks","category-utah","tag-accipiter-striatus","tag-accipiters","tag-adult","tag-autumn","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-close-up","tag-fall","tag-greasewood","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-male","tag-marsh","tag-perched","tag-portrait","tag-raptors","tag-sarcobatus-vermiculatus","tag-sharp-shinned-hawk","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/sharp-shinned-adult-portrait-mia-mcpherson-4324.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-urG","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":41614,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/08\/31\/immature-sharp-shinned-hawk-in-the-centennial-valley-of-montana\/","url_meta":{"origin":117036,"position":0},"title":"Immature Sharp-shinned Hawk in the Centennial Valley of Montana","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Last year on September 8th I located an immature Sharp-shinned Hawk in the Centennial Valley of Montana early in the morning as it flew low to the ground looking for small birds to capture and consume.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Centennial Valley immature Sharp-shinned Hawk, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/sharp-shinned-hawk-perched-mia-mcpherson-4210.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/sharp-shinned-hawk-perched-mia-mcpherson-4210.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/sharp-shinned-hawk-perched-mia-mcpherson-4210.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/sharp-shinned-hawk-perched-mia-mcpherson-4210.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60910,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/10\/19\/sharp-shinned-hawk-perched-and-preening\/","url_meta":{"origin":117036,"position":1},"title":"Sharp-shinned Hawk Perched And Preening","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"When it comes to accipiters I see Sharp-shinned Hawks less frequently than I do Cooper's Hawks or Northern Goshawks so when I have a Sharp-shinned Hawk in my viewfinder I become very excited.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Preening Sharp-shinned Hawk, Stansbury Mountains, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/sharp-shinned-hawk-old-post-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/sharp-shinned-hawk-old-post-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/sharp-shinned-hawk-old-post-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/sharp-shinned-hawk-old-post-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":112318,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/04\/10\/mix-of-urban-birds-close-to-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":117036,"position":2},"title":"Mix Of Urban Birds Close To Home","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"This mix of urban birds were taken over a two day period close to home. Birds, no matter where they are, bring me joy, happiness, and even laughter.","rel":"","context":"In "American Robins"","block_context":{"text":"American Robins","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/thrushes\/american-robins\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Double-crested Cormorant splashy landing, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-landing-on-pnd-mia-mcpherson-1583.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-landing-on-pnd-mia-mcpherson-1583.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-landing-on-pnd-mia-mcpherson-1583.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-landing-on-pnd-mia-mcpherson-1583.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":117113,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/10\/17\/male-lesser-goldfinch-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":117036,"position":3},"title":"Male Lesser Goldfinch Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I was thrilled to take several male Lesser Goldfinch images on my last trip to Farmington Bay WMA. It was a bright, sunny day, and I was enjoying it and myself.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Lesser Goldfinch perched on a greasewood, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/lesser-goldfinch-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-4279.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/lesser-goldfinch-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-4279.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/lesser-goldfinch-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-4279.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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