{"id":8991,"date":"2013-07-21T03:50:03","date_gmt":"2013-07-21T09:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=8991"},"modified":"2026-01-27T13:57:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T19:57:13","slug":"if-only-i-could-fly-like-this-red-tailed-hawk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/07\/21\/if-only-i-could-fly-like-this-red-tailed-hawk\/","title":{"rendered":"If Only I Could Fly Like This Red-tailed Hawk!"},"content":{"rendered":"

I readily admit that sometimes I daydream about being able to fly like a bird and quite often the bird I wish I were is a Red-tailed Hawk.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Red-tailed Hawk perched in an old dead tree<\/span><\/p>\n

I photographed this adult Red-tailed Hawk in southwestern Montana last month, its mate had already left the tree and I was anticipating that this male would soon follow her.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Red-tailed Hawk lifting off from an old, dead tree<\/span><\/p>\n

I knew that the Red-tailed Hawk would lift off shortly after it defecated and sure enough it did. Its feet had just left the branch it had been perched on in this frame.<\/p>\n

\"DownwardDownward sweep of the Red-tail’s wings<\/span><\/p>\n

And with a downward sweep its wings the male Red-tailed was airborne. I wonder what that feels like.<\/p>\n

\"Red-tailedRed-tailed heading skyward<\/span><\/p>\n

With its wings spread and its tail fanned it flew past the branches of the tree. I’m certain at this point I was paying far more attention to the hawk than it was paying to me.<\/p>\n

\"Red-tailedRed-tailed Hawk flying over the tree line<\/span><\/p>\n

As the Red-tail flew past me I once again wondered what it would be like to be flying so free, unfettered and wild. I’ll never know but it is wonderful to daydream about it.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

I readily admit that sometimes I daydream about being able to fly like a bird and quite often the bird I wish I were is a Red-tailed Hawk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":135296,"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":[1513,27,223,12,449],"tags":[4004,2663,4170,2497,4052,5779,4122,4033,4169,2237,4282,4062,13920,4104,153,4209,165],"class_list":["post-8991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-avian","category-centennial-valley","category-montana","category-red-tailed-hawks","tag-adult","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-jamaicensis","tag-buteos","tag-flight","tag-fly","tag-flying","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-montana","tag-lift-off","tag-male","tag-mountain-valley","tag-perched","tag-raptors","tag-red-tailed-hawk","tag-spring"],"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