Red-tailed Hawk “Pole Dancing”
Yesterday morning I had a great time photographing an adult Red-tailed Hawk in northern Utah County as it hunted rodents from power poles. The experience was both rewarding and frustrating as I’ll explain.
Tag: red tailed hawk
Adult Red-tailed Hawk – Total Plumage
It’s become our tradition to spend New Year’s Day in northern Box Elder County looking for raptors. Just over two weeks ago this adult Red-tail gave me a good look at the entirety of its visible plumage.
A Possibly Damaged Adult Red-tailed Hawk (and a lesson in jumping to conclusions)
Whenever I see an injured bird my heart sinks and for some illogical reason my angst is even greater when it’s a raptor. For that reason I was very curious about something about this hawk that I first noticed through my lens.
Red-tailed Hawk In Difficult Shooting Conditions
I’m of the opinion that nature photographers should occasionally test the limits of their gear and their skills. For me, attempting to photograph this hawk in flight in these conditions did just that.
Red-tailed Hawk Sucker-punched By A Kestrel
Yesterday I photographed an attack by an American Kestrel on an adult Red-tailed Hawk. What made it unusual was the fact that the hawk didn’t see the kestrel coming, so its reaction to being thumped on the head was, well… amusing.
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Still Learning To Hunt
After yet another snowstorm all day yesterday I felt the need to post something this morning with absolutely nothing white in the background. This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk taking off after prey filled the bill.
A Red-tailed Hawk And Opportunities Missed
Two days ago this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk put on quite a show for me but for a variety of reasons I blew many of the chances I had with it.
Juvenile Red-tail Scratching An Itch In Flight
A Goofy-looking Red-tailed Hawk
Occasionally I run across a bird that just looks, well…. silly. This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was one of them.
You Never Know In What Direction A Raptor Will Take Off
Because of my fondness for raptor take-off shots I work hard at trying to predict what direction they will take off so I can be as prepared as possible. But to say it’s not an exact science is an understatement.
Reminiscing About My Last Montana Camping Trip
My plan this morning was to make a simple, single image post but with a snowstorm predicted for today I began to reminisce about my last Montana camping venture and decided to take a trip down memory lane with this post. I hoped to make one last visit to Montana before winter set in but I’ve now faced the grim reality that it just isn’t going to happen. These images were all taken in mid-September in and near the Centennial Valley.
Is A Hawk Capable Of “Planning”?
I sometimes see hawks buried so deeply in trees that I can’t help but wonder how they’re going to fly out without injury or at least feather damage. They occasionally appear to “think” about their escape route just before take-off, which implies “planning”. Some images I took yesterday brought the question to mind once again – are hawks capable of “planning”?
West Desert Red-tail In Flight
Last month we ventured out into the west desert in an attempt to locate and photograph buteos and Golden Eagles. With the exception of one adult Red-tailed Hawk and a (mostly uncooperative) Golden Eagle who let us get close it was largely a frustrating morning.
The red-tail was perched in a tree that was swaying in the wind and it was quite entertaining to watch it rockin’ and rollin’ as it attempted to remain stable on its unstable perch.
Perch-hunting Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawks in North America are “sit and wait predators” who do most of their hunting (60 – 80%) from elevated perches. Though they do hunt from the air, that is not their primary hunting style. In fact, availability of elevated perches is a key factor in determining their foraging distribution.
Antelope Island is largely treeless and without power poles so Red-tails tend to be found in specific locations on the island where elevated natural perches are available. One of their favorite foraging spots is an area where there are large outcroppings of Farmington Canyon Complex rocks jutting out from the side of a small mountain, which is where I found this bird hunting voles
Red-tailed Hawk – Another Optical Illusion
Raptor landing shots are one of my most difficult photographic challenges and I attempt them every reasonable chance I get. This one turned out to be unexpectedly interesting, at least from a photographer’s point of view.
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Adult Red-tailed Hawk – Total Plumage
It’s become our tradition to spend New Year’s Day in northern Box Elder County looking for raptors. Just over two weeks ago this adult Red-tail gave me a good look at the entirety of its visible plumage.
A Possibly Damaged Adult Red-tailed Hawk (and a lesson in jumping to conclusions)
Whenever I see an injured bird my heart sinks and for some illogical reason my angst is even greater when it’s a raptor. For that reason I was very curious about something about this hawk that I first noticed through my lens.
Red-tailed Hawk In Difficult Shooting Conditions
I’m of the opinion that nature photographers should occasionally test the limits of their gear and their skills. For me, attempting to photograph this hawk in flight in these conditions did just that.
Red-tailed Hawk Sucker-punched By A Kestrel
Yesterday I photographed an attack by an American Kestrel on an adult Red-tailed Hawk. What made it unusual was the fact that the hawk didn’t see the kestrel coming, so its reaction to being thumped on the head was, well… amusing.
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Still Learning To Hunt
After yet another snowstorm all day yesterday I felt the need to post something this morning with absolutely nothing white in the background. This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk taking off after prey filled the bill.
A Red-tailed Hawk And Opportunities Missed
Two days ago this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk put on quite a show for me but for a variety of reasons I blew many of the chances I had with it.
Juvenile Red-tail Scratching An Itch In Flight
A Goofy-looking Red-tailed Hawk
Occasionally I run across a bird that just looks, well…. silly. This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was one of them.
You Never Know In What Direction A Raptor Will Take Off
Because of my fondness for raptor take-off shots I work hard at trying to predict what direction they will take off so I can be as prepared as possible. But to say it’s not an exact science is an understatement.
Reminiscing About My Last Montana Camping Trip
My plan this morning was to make a simple, single image post but with a snowstorm predicted for today I began to reminisce about my last Montana camping venture and decided to take a trip down memory lane with this post. I hoped to make one last visit to Montana before winter set in but I’ve now faced the grim reality that it just isn’t going to happen. These images were all taken in mid-September in and near the Centennial Valley.
Is A Hawk Capable Of “Planning”?
I sometimes see hawks buried so deeply in trees that I can’t help but wonder how they’re going to fly out without injury or at least feather damage. They occasionally appear to “think” about their escape route just before take-off, which implies “planning”. Some images I took yesterday brought the question to mind once again – are hawks capable of “planning”?
West Desert Red-tail In Flight
Last month we ventured out into the west desert in an attempt to locate and photograph buteos and Golden Eagles. With the exception of one adult Red-tailed Hawk and a (mostly uncooperative) Golden Eagle who let us get close it was largely a frustrating morning.
The red-tail was perched in a tree that was swaying in the wind and it was quite entertaining to watch it rockin’ and rollin’ as it attempted to remain stable on its unstable perch.
Perch-hunting Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawks in North America are “sit and wait predators” who do most of their hunting (60 – 80%) from elevated perches. Though they do hunt from the air, that is not their primary hunting style. In fact, availability of elevated perches is a key factor in determining their foraging distribution.
Antelope Island is largely treeless and without power poles so Red-tails tend to be found in specific locations on the island where elevated natural perches are available. One of their favorite foraging spots is an area where there are large outcroppings of Farmington Canyon Complex rocks jutting out from the side of a small mountain, which is where I found this bird hunting voles
Red-tailed Hawk – Another Optical Illusion
Raptor landing shots are one of my most difficult photographic challenges and I attempt them every reasonable chance I get. This one turned out to be unexpectedly interesting, at least from a photographer’s point of view.