{"id":49628,"date":"2017-12-01T05:00:07","date_gmt":"2017-12-01T12:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=49628"},"modified":"2025-10-01T09:28:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T14:28:32","slug":"male-rough-legged-hawk-in-flight-over-box-elder-county-utah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/12\/01\/male-rough-legged-hawk-in-flight-over-box-elder-county-utah\/","title":{"rendered":"Male Rough-legged Hawk In Flight Over Box Elder County, Utah"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Rough-legged Hawk in flight in a clear blue sky – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

For several weeks now Rough-legged Hawks have been migrating into northern Utah and showing up in locations where I have photographed them for years.<\/p>\n

Yesterday morning I was able to photograph a handsome male Rough-legged Hawk in flight over the Promontory Mountains in Box Elder County after he lifted off from a pole in a field.<\/p>\n

When the Rough-legged Hawk first took off he was headed away from me but he turned, headed south, and flew past me with nice light falling on him with a clear blue in the background.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Rough-legged Hawk in flight in front of a cloud – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

As the hawk flew south he passed in front of the Promontory Mountains with a cloud in the background.<\/p>\n

Of the two images I am sharing here today I prefer this one the most.<\/p>\n

Why? Because it includes some habitat in the background and for me it is more visually appealing than just a plain blue sky, that is just my personal preference of course.<\/p>\n

I was able to take a series of 34 images of this bird as he flew by.<\/p>\n

I always see more female and juvenile Rough-legged Hawks than I do males while they visit Utah during the winter so when I have a male in my viewfinder I do tend get a bit excited.<\/p>\n

Yesterday was also thrilling for me because Rough-legged Hawks are usually silent except for when they are on their breeding grounds.<\/p>\n

While I was trying to photograph another immature Rough-legged Hawk in the same general area of Box Elder County I heard one of these beautiful arctic hawks call for the first time and I must say that it surprised and delighted me.<\/p>\n

The calls of a pair of Rough-legged Hawks in Alaska on their breeding territory can be heard here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

For several weeks now Rough-legged Hawks have been migrating into northern Utah and showing up in locations where I have photographed them for years. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158738,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_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":[27,1148,1087,26],"tags":[4004,2663,4275,6253,4052,4122,4033,4169,2386,4062,153,1648,4018,373],"class_list":["post-49628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-rough-legged-hawks","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-lagopus","tag-cloud","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-utah","tag-male","tag-raptors","tag-rough-legged-hawk","tag-sky","tag-winter"],"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