{"id":42229,"date":"2016-09-25T05:41:05","date_gmt":"2016-09-25T11:41:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=42229"},"modified":"2025-09-30T18:12:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T23:12:44","slug":"farewell-to-the-swainsons-hawks-im-looking-forward-to-rough-legged-hawks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/09\/25\/farewell-to-the-swainsons-hawks-im-looking-forward-to-rough-legged-hawks\/","title":{"rendered":"Farewell To The Swainson’s Hawks – I’m Looking Forward To Rough-legged Hawks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Intermediate<\/a>Intermediate morph Swainson’s Hawk perched on a budding tree – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 250, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural\u00a0 light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Cooler, unsettled weather was ushered in this past week with the advent of fall including a tornado north of where I live on the date of the fall equinox, the leaves are changing and now there is up to a foot of snow in the high country.<\/p>\n

There is a nip in the air and it won’t be long before I see frost on the ground.<\/p>\n

This time of the year also brings about a change in two buteo species I see here in northern Utah.<\/p>\n

It is time to say a fond farewell to all the Swainson’s Hawks that have nested and raised their families here because they now are heading to South America on their fall migration.<\/p>\n

I am sure there are still a few Swainson’s Hawks around but they won’t be here for long.<\/p>\n

\"EyeEye level Rough-legged Hawk in flight – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural\u00a0 light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

This time of the year also means I will be keeping my eagle eyes to the sky looking for my first of the year Rough-legged Hawks who migrate here to spend the winter from their arctic breeding grounds.<\/p>\n

It won’t be long before I will be seeing these elegant hawks perched, hunting, and gliding by. I hope I have more opportunities to photograph them this year than I did last year.<\/p>\n

Even though I am saying a fond farewell to the Swainson’s Hawks I’m also looking forward to Rough-legged Hawks gracing my life for another season.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to see more of my Swainson\u2019s Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here<\/a> to see more of my Rough-legged Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even though I am saying a fond farewell to the Swainson’s Hawks I’m also looking forward to Rough-legged Hawks gracing my life for another season. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158685,"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":[511,27,1148,1022,1087,206,26],"tags":[4004,2663,4275,4200,2497,7934,5444,4052,4122,4169,2386,4067,5045,4104,5443,1648,4018,4034,4427],"class_list":["post-42229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-davis-county-utah","category-rough-legged-hawks","category-swainson-hawks","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-lagopus","tag-buteo-swainsoni","tag-buteos","tag-eye-level","tag-fall-equinox","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-utah","tag-immature","tag-intermediate-morph","tag-perched","tag-raptprs","tag-rough-legged-hawk","tag-sky","tag-swainsons-hawk","tag-tree"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rough-legged-hawk-gliding-mia-mcpherson-9388.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-aZ7","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":65878,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/02\/29\/rough-legged-hawks-will-be-leaving-swainsons-hawks-will-arrive-soon\/","url_meta":{"origin":42229,"position":0},"title":"Rough-legged Hawks Will Be Leaving – Swainson’s Hawks Will Arrive Soon","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"It is almost time for me to see a seasonal switch of raptors here in northern Utah because the Rough-legged Hawks will leaving and the Swainson's will arrive soon.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rough-legged Hawk resting on a sign, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, 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intermediate morph Swainson's Hawk in Box Elder County and was delighted when it didn't fly off immediately.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Intermediate morph Swainson's Hawk staring at me","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/swinsons-hawk-intermediate-morph-mia-mcpherson-3840.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/swinsons-hawk-intermediate-morph-mia-mcpherson-3840.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/swinsons-hawk-intermediate-morph-mia-mcpherson-3840.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ferruginous-hawk-flight-mia-mcpherson-4949.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ferruginous-hawk-flight-mia-mcpherson-4949.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ferruginous-hawk-flight-mia-mcpherson-4949.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ferruginous-hawk-flight-mia-mcpherson-4949.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":82925,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/31\/swainsons-hawk-on-a-gnarly-fence-post\/","url_meta":{"origin":42229,"position":3},"title":"Swainson’s Hawk On A Gnarly Fence Post","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 31, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I haven't found my first of season Swainson's Hawk yet but I expect that to change any day now as spring migration is almost in full swing.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Swainson's Hawk on a gnarly fence post, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/swainsons-hawk-on-old-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-7130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/swainsons-hawk-on-old-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-7130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/swainsons-hawk-on-old-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-7130.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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