{"id":6494,"date":"2012-11-03T12:39:42","date_gmt":"2012-11-03T18:39:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=6494"},"modified":"2025-12-18T15:36:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T21:36:34","slug":"juvenile-red-tailed-hawk-from-lift-off-to-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/11\/03\/juvenile-red-tailed-hawk-from-lift-off-to-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk – From Lift Off To Flight"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JuvenileJuvenile Red-tailed Hawk getting ready to lift off – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 640, +0.3, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

I went out into the west desert of Utah this morning hoping to take images of the raptors I thought I would find there to do a post on but some days though the birds are few and those that you find just aren’t cooperative.<\/p>\n

It was that kind of day so I will post a series of images of a young Red-tailed hawk that I created in September.<\/p>\n

This handsome juvenile Red-tailed Hawk had landed on these dark rocks before I started this series. In the frame above I could tell by the bird’s posture that lift off would most likely happen soon so I got ready.<\/p>\n

I have mentioned before that it pays to study and learn a subject’s behavior and because I do this series of images worked well because I had anticipated the bird’s next movements.<\/p>\n

\"Red-tailedRed-tailed Hawk juvenile crouching before lift off – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 640, +0.3, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

This frame shows the immature hawk crouching down prior to lifting off.<\/p>\n

\"JuvenileJuvenile Red-tailed right after lift off – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/1600, ISO 640, +0.3, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

This image shows the Red-tailed juvie right after it leapt into the air.<\/p>\n

\"JuvenileJuvenile Red-tailed Hawk gaining altitude – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 640, +0.3, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

This frame shows the young hawk gaining altitude.<\/p>\n

\"JuvenileJuvenile Red-tailed Hawk flying past me – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.3, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

I lost focus for two frames as the hawk started flying past the darks rocky outcropping in the background and then with this frame I locked on again.<\/p>\n

I haven’t been seeing this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk<\/span><\/a> in the same location of late and I hope that it decides to hunt in the area again, those dark rocks can make for dramatic backgrounds.<\/p>\n

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

Have a great Saturday!<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click 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":"

I went out into the west desert of Utah this morning hoping to take images of the raptors I thought I would find there to do a post on but some days though the birds are few and those that you find just aren’t cooperative<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":166019,"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":[511,27,449,26],"tags":[970,4170,4506,3981,11978,4620,4052,4122,4067,4071,4282,153,4209,4470,1949,4193],"class_list":["post-6494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-red-tailed-hawks","category-utah","tag-autumn","tag-buteo-jamaicensis","tag-crouching","tag-davis-county","tag-desert-island","tag-fall","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-immature","tag-juvenile","tag-lift-off","tag-raptors","tag-red-tailed-hawk","tag-rocks","tag-western-red-tailed-hawk","tag-young"],"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