{"id":3766,"date":"2011-11-30T15:47:20","date_gmt":"2011-11-30T22:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=3766"},"modified":"2025-09-29T10:23:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T15:23:35","slug":"a-rough-legged-hawk-preening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/11\/30\/a-rough-legged-hawk-preening\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooperative Rough-legged Hawk Preening"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rough-leggedPerched Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1\/400, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

After two winters with very few Rough-legged Hawk photographing opportunities the tide has turned and I’m seeing Rough-legged Hawks in a lot of places and I have had quite a few chances to photograph these handsome raptors.<\/p>\n

Rough-legged Hawks breed in the high Arctic and because they do they are not used to human presence and are a challenge to approach… most of the time.<\/p>\n

Last week though I had the opportunity to photograph a very cooperative Rough-legged Hawk preening.<\/p>\n

I’m not sure the bird above is the same bird in the following images but both were in the same general location.<\/p>\n

Normally I like to post an image then some text content, but in this case I’ll just post the images and their techs.<\/p>\n

Rough-legged Hawks<\/span><\/a> are beautiful and as you will see in these images; they can even look quite comical.<\/p>\n

\"YawningYawning Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/1600, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk side view –\u00a0 Nikon D300, f9, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV,\u00a0Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 300mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BackwardBackward look from the Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"RegalRegal looking Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/800, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Funky Chicken Pose – Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"SideSide view of a Rough-legged Hawk – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/640, +0.7 EV, 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk – What are you looking at? – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/640, +0.3 EV, Nikon 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk preening with tip of tail in the bill –\u00a0Nikon D300, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 360mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk looking at its feet –\u00a0Nikon D300, f8, 1\/640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk – This is my best side… –\u00a0Nikon D300, f8, 1\/640, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 360mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope these photos told a story, if they did they are probably better than I could have written.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Last week though I had the opportunity to photograph a very cooperative Rough-legged Hawk preening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158481,"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":[511,1087,26],"tags":[58,5180,2663,3489,4275,2497,1108,7229,4157,4033,4169,2386,4067,2670,4104,4394,4019,153,9551,1648,5769,8917],"class_list":["post-3766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-rough-legged-hawks","category-utah","tag-antelope-island-sp","tag-back-view","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo","tag-buteo-lagopus","tag-buteos","tag-comical","tag-feet","tag-funny","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-utah","tag-immature","tag-light-morph","tag-perched","tag-post","tag-preening-2","tag-raptors","tag-regal","tag-rough-legged-hawk","tag-side-view","tag-wooden-post"],"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