{"id":41960,"date":"2016-09-13T05:30:18","date_gmt":"2016-09-13T11:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=41960"},"modified":"2026-01-16T12:17:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T18:17:05","slug":"red-tailed-hawk-lifting-off-from-a-nest-in-box-elder-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/09\/13\/red-tailed-hawk-lifting-off-from-a-nest-in-box-elder-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Red-tailed Hawk Lifting Off From A Nest In Box Elder County"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-167015 size-full\" title=\"Red-tailed Hawk lifting off from a nest, Box Elder County, Utah\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lift-off-nest-mia-mcpherson-9389.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lift-off-nest-mia-mcpherson-9389.jpg\" alt=\"Red-tailed Hawk lifting off from a nest, Box Elder County, Utah\" width=\"850\" height=\"607\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20850%20607%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lift-off-nest-mia-mcpherson-9389-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lift-off-nest-mia-mcpherson-9389-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lift-off-nest-mia-mcpherson-9389-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lift-off-nest-mia-mcpherson-9389-600x428.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lift-off-nest-mia-mcpherson-9389-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lift-off-nest-mia-mcpherson-9389.jpg 850w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Red-tailed Hawk lifting off from a nest &#8211; Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/4000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year I photographed a pair of Red-tailed Hawks at a nest they had built onto the side of a cliff in <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Box_Elder_County,_Utah\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Box Elder County<\/span><\/a>, one of two nests that I knew of in that area.<\/p>\n<p>The second nest failed but the pair of hawks at this nest were successful and raised two young that fledged. Perhaps those two juvenile Red-tailed Hawks will stay in the area, I hope so.<\/p>\n<p>When I photographed this Red-tailed Hawk lifting off from the nest it was in mid-April and I don&#8217;t believe they had laid their eggs yet. I&#8217;ll have to check next spring to see if this pair of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/guide\/Red-tailed_Hawk\/lifehistory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Red-tailed Hawks<\/span><\/a> will use this nest again.<\/p>\n<p>Life <em>is<\/em> good. My internet connection this morning, not so much, which is why I kept this post short.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/red-tailed-hawk-images\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Red-tailed Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When I photographed this Red-tailed Hawk lifting off from the nest it was in mid-April and I don&#8217;t believe they had laid their eggs yet. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":167015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1148,449,26],"tags":[4004,2663,4170,5131,5100,4098,4052,4122,4033,4169,2386,4075,3976,11852,153,4209,165],"class_list":["post-41960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-red-tailed-hawks","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-jamaicensis","tag-cliff","tag-cliff-face","tag-desert","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-utah","tag-nest","tag-nesting","tag-ranchlands","tag-raptors","tag-red-tailed-hawk","tag-spring"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lift-off-nest-mia-mcpherson-9389.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-aUM","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":56673,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/03\/17\/nesting-red-tailed-hawks-plus-guidelines-on-photographing-nesting-birds\/","url_meta":{"origin":41960,"position":0},"title":"Nesting Red-tailed Hawks &#8211; Plus Guidelines On Photographing Nesting Birds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 17, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm happy to see that the rufous female Red-tailed Hawk does have a mate and that they are building a nest to raise their young in, I hope they are successful.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Close up of a male Red-tailed Hawk in flight, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-tailed-hawk-flight-close-up-mia-mcpherson-0725.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-tailed-hawk-flight-close-up-mia-mcpherson-0725.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-tailed-hawk-flight-close-up-mia-mcpherson-0725.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/red-tailed-hawk-flight-close-up-mia-mcpherson-0725.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":100286,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/02\/28\/desert-red-tailed-hawk-it-is-nest-building-time\/","url_meta":{"origin":41960,"position":1},"title":"Desert Red-tailed Hawk &#8211; It Is Nest Building Time","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Among the birds I found was a desert dwelling Red-tailed Hawk adult who was busy refurbishing a nest on a cliff face.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-tailed Hawk resting on a cliff face in bitter cold temps, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-cliff-face-desert-mia-mcpherson-5336.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-cliff-face-desert-mia-mcpherson-5336.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-cliff-face-desert-mia-mcpherson-5336.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-cliff-face-desert-mia-mcpherson-5336.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":67440,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/28\/red-tailed-hawk-nesting-season-has-begun\/","url_meta":{"origin":41960,"position":2},"title":"Red-tailed Hawk Nesting Season Has Begun!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The female Red-tailed Hawk blended into the lichen covered cliff face so well that even with my sharp eyesight I didn't see her until the male landed next to her.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Red-tailed Hawk leaping off of a cliff face, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-tailed-hawk-female-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-9472.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-tailed-hawk-female-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-9472.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-tailed-hawk-female-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-9472.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-tailed-hawk-female-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-9472.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":82025,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/22\/mated-red-tailed-hawk-pair\/","url_meta":{"origin":41960,"position":3},"title":"Mated Red-tailed Hawk Pair","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 22, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I spotted and photographed a mated Red-tailed Hawk pair on the branches of a tree in front of a cliff in early morning light.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Red-tailed Hawk looking for nesting material, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-male-light-morph-mia-mcpherson-9672.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-male-light-morph-mia-mcpherson-9672.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-male-light-morph-mia-mcpherson-9672.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-male-light-morph-mia-mcpherson-9672.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45984,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/04\/04\/red-tailed-hawks-on-cliff-faces\/","url_meta":{"origin":41960,"position":4},"title":"Red-tailed Hawks On Cliff Faces","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I appreciate it when I can photograph Red-tailed Hawks on Cliff faces well away from the man made objects including power poles and wires, fence posts and barbed wire","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-tailed Hawk on a lichen covered cliff face, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lichen-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-8841.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lichen-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-8841.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lichen-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-8841.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-lichen-cliff-face-mia-mcpherson-8841.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":81500,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/15\/it-is-red-tailed-hawk-nesting-season\/","url_meta":{"origin":41960,"position":5},"title":"It Is Red-tailed Hawk Nesting Season","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 15, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Red-tailed Hawk nesting season has started in northern Utah and I found a few pairs yesterday morning that have already gotten busy with nest building.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pair of Red-tailed Hawks perched side by side, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-perched-on-cliff-mia-mcpherson-7464.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-perched-on-cliff-mia-mcpherson-7464.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-perched-on-cliff-mia-mcpherson-7464.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 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