![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-tailed-hawk-4151-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"red-tailed-hawk-4151-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nThe first obviously mated red-tails I’ve seen this season.<\/p>\n
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1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n It’s unusual, even rare, for me to capture the red, fully-flared dorsal surface of the tail of an adult Red-tailed Hawk in flight – at least in a photo I like for other reasons too. Lots of things have to come together for it to happen so when I got lucky with this one two days ago I knew I’d post the photo to Feathered Photography, even though the image has at least one strike against it. It’s been cropped significantly and I think it shows.<\/p>\n If nothing else it’s a reminder of what’s possible if I keep trying.<\/p>\n For the last several weeks I’ve been watching for the first signs of red-tails pairing up for the nesting season and this bird was the first I’d seen with its mate. They were together when I first spotted them but as I drove up the other one flew off. This hawk is taking off to join its mate on a far-away cliff.<\/p>\n Next time I’m in the area they should be nest-building and mating. Baby red-tails coming up.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The first obviously mated red-tails I’ve seen this season.<\/p>\n