{"id":7542,"date":"2013-02-17T05:58:03","date_gmt":"2013-02-17T12:58:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=7542"},"modified":"2025-09-30T06:58:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T11:58:08","slug":"rough-legged-hawks-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/02\/17\/rough-legged-hawks-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Rough-legged Hawks On The Wing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk flying near a hill – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/2500, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 285mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

This year hasn’t provided me with as many opportunities to photograph Rough-legged Hawks as last winter did and before long these raptors will be heading to the high Arctic to find mates on their breeding grounds. I thought I would share some Rough-legged Hawk\u00a0images taken the winter of 2011\/2012 when they were very abundant\u00a0today.<\/p>\n

The young Roughy above had been perched on a Rabbitbrush high up on a hill and when it took off I was ready to photograph it as it came flying down the hillside.<\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedPerched Rough-legged Hawk\u00a0– Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/320, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

This Rough-legged Hawk posed nicely on a post giving me a wonderful profile view of its face that showed the sharp little bill and the wonderful plumage patterns these hawks have on their backs.<\/p>\n

\"HighHigh Key Rough-legged Hawk lift off from sign – Nikon D300, f5.6, 1\/1250, ISO 800, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 300mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

What I like about this image is how it shows how long the wings are on Rough-legged Hawks, I also enjoy the rather direct look I appear to be getting from this raptor.<\/p>\n

I wish it had been perched on a natural feature but the hawk picked where it landed, not I.<\/p>\n

\"Rough-leggedRough-legged Hawk perched on post with bison fur – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1\/400, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The stuff on top of the post in this frame that looks like material from a\u00a0steel wool\u00a0pad is actually Bison fur with frost on it left there after a Bison used the post for a good scratch. The Rough-legged Hawk didn’t seem to mind the Bison fur or the lady with the long lens photographing it.<\/p>\n

Rough-legged Hawks are winter wanderers in my part of the country and I never know where I might find them. I’ll keep trying to photograph the Rough-legged Hawks<\/a><\/span> that are still here before they head north.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

This year hasn’t provided me with as many opportunities to photograph Rough-legged Hawks as last winter did and before long these raptors will be heading to the high Arctic to find mates on their breeding grounds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158569,"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":[511,27,1087,26],"tags":[970,2663,4275,2497,11978,4620,4052,4169,2386,4067,4282,2670,153,1648,373,4193],"class_list":["post-7542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-rough-legged-hawks","category-utah","tag-autumn","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-lagopus","tag-buteos","tag-desert-island","tag-fall","tag-flight","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-utah","tag-immature","tag-lift-off","tag-light-morph","tag-raptors","tag-rough-legged-hawk","tag-winter","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