{"id":54810,"date":"2018-10-29T06:09:31","date_gmt":"2018-10-29T12:09:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=54810"},"modified":"2021-03-31T05:52:44","modified_gmt":"2021-03-31T11:52:44","slug":"sub-adult-swainsons-hawk-in-northern-utah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/10\/29\/sub-adult-swainsons-hawk-in-northern-utah\/","title":{"rendered":"Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk in Northern Utah"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Sub-adultSub-adult Swainson’s Hawk perched on a rusty pole – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

By this time of the year Swainson’s Hawks have left Utah and headed towards South America to their wintering grounds but the memories I have of the hawks never leave me. I didn’t take as many photos of this raptor species this year while they were here and for a bit I was concerned that their population here was declining but this year I spent far more time up in the mountain canyons than I have in any year since I moved here in 2009 and I wouldn’t expect to see this hawk species in that type of habitat. I did see fewer of Swainson’s Hawks this year than normal in places where I usually find them in high numbers while they are here for their breeding season, that could be related to lack of prey though.<\/p>\n

In June I photographed what I believe to be the most handsome sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk I’ve ever seen, I’ve noticed that sub-adult Swainson’s Hawks can look a bit ratty while they are in North America but this one sure didn’t as it perched on a rusty pole way up north in Box Elder County. Its plumage looked tidy and neat.<\/p>\n

\"Sub-adultSub-adult Swainson’s Hawk looking over its back – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Some sub-adult Swainson’s Hawks stay in South America during the breeding season so I see fewer of them than I do adults or the young of the year so to me finding one is a treat not only for my eyes but to photograph too. I waited and waited for this sub-adult Swainson’s to lift off and it didn’t surprise me that it didn’t lift off until after I left because young raptors can be so confiding and sticky, so much so that there are times I take photos of them and leave because they aren’t very active at all.<\/p>\n

I believe this was the only sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk I photographed this year which makes it even more special to me.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Swainson\u2019s Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By this time of the year Swainson’s Hawks have left Utah and headed towards South America to their wintering grounds but the memories I have of the hawks never leave me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54804,"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":[27,1148,206,26],"tags":[6866,2663,4200,2497,4033,4169,2386,6865,4104,5497,6243,153,5668,2239,4034],"class_list":["post-54810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-swainson-hawks","category-utah","tag-back","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-swainsoni","tag-buteos","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-utah","tag-looking","tag-perched","tag-pole","tag-range","tag-raptors","tag-rusty","tag-sub-adult","tag-swainsons-hawk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/swainsons-hawk-sub-adult-howell-mia-mcpherosn-5225.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-eg2","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":54810,"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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yesterday morning on my way to the auto tour route at Bear River MBR I was delighted to see and photograph not just one dark morph Swainson's Hawk but two.","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":"Adult dark morph Swainson's Hawk in lift off pose, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/swainsons-hawk-adult-dark-morph-mia-mcpherson-8199.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/swainsons-hawk-adult-dark-morph-mia-mcpherson-8199.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Swainson's Hawk juvenile on old fence post","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/swainsons-hawk-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-9601.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/swainsons-hawk-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-9601.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/swainsons-hawk-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-9601.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/swainsons-hawk-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-9601.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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And I will probably think about the title of this post... Warning - Swainson's Hawks Ahead.","rel":"","context":"In "Box Elder County"","block_context":{"text":"Box Elder County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/box-elder-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Swainson's Hawk on Warning Sign","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/swainsons-hawk-warning-sign-mia-mcpherson-3701.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/swainsons-hawk-warning-sign-mia-mcpherson-3701.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/swainsons-hawk-warning-sign-mia-mcpherson-3701.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/swainsons-hawk-warning-sign-mia-mcpherson-3701.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning in northern Utah I saw about a dozen Swainson's Hawks in about 2.25 miles, some were perched, some were in flight and all of them were wonderful to photograph.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Close up of dark morph Swainson's Hawk in golden light","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/swainsons-hawk-portrait-dark-morph-mia-mcpherson-4258.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/swainsons-hawk-portrait-dark-morph-mia-mcpherson-4258.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/swainsons-hawk-portrait-dark-morph-mia-mcpherson-4258.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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