{"id":45047,"date":"2017-01-13T07:00:59","date_gmt":"2017-01-13T14:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=45047"},"modified":"2017-01-13T17:22:22","modified_gmt":"2017-01-14T00:22:22","slug":"swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Swainson&#8217;s Hawk Regurgitating Pellets, Then I Dissected Them"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li><em>Occasionally I recycle a favorite older blog post because most current viewers have never seen it. This one was published on August 26, 2012\u00a0(I&#8217;ve posted two other photos of this bird since that time). I&#8217;ve reprocessed the images and rewritten some of the text.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Western Montana had been awash in Swainson\u2019s Hawks\u00a0that summer. From the Canadian border (Glacier County) to the southwestern border with Idaho (Beaverhead County) I found them in significantly larger numbers than I&#8217;d seen in previous summers.\u00a0I hope\u00a0that anecdotal observation was accurate because\u00a0their numbers have been declining to the point where they&#8217;re listed as a Species of Special Concern in several western states.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45048\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-4007b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4007b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;RON DUDLEY&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345634049&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainson&amp;#8217;s hawk 4007b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4007b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45048\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4007b-ron-dudley.jpg\" alt=\"swainson's hawk 4007b ron dudley\" width=\"900\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4007b-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4007b-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4007b-ron-dudley-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4007b-ron-dudley-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4007b-ron-dudley-400x320.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS I USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I found this handsome juvenile along a county road\u00a0in Beaverhead County in late August.\u00a0At first it was very relaxed and assumed this clenched fist pose that is so typical of many buteo species when they\u2019re at ease and resting.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45049\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-4045b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4045b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;RON DUDLEY&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345634511&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.000625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons hawk 4045b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4045b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45049\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4045b-ron-dudley.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons hawk 4045b ron dudley\" width=\"900\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4045b-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4045b-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4045b-ron-dudley-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4045b-ron-dudley-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4045b-ron-dudley-400x320.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS I USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">But soon it began to arch its neck and raise the feathers there and\u00a0I recognized that it was about to attempt to expel a pellet.\u00a0I had already removed my teleconverter in anticipation of\u00a0take-off so I decided to leave it off because so often in the past I\u2019ve missed the falling pellet as it dropped out\u00a0of\u00a0frame at bottom if I was too tight on the bird.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45050\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-4052b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4052b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;RON DUDLEY&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345634562&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons hawk 4052b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4052b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45050\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4052b-ron-dudley.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons hawk 4052b ron dudley\" width=\"900\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4052b-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4052b-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4052b-ron-dudley-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4052b-ron-dudley-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4052b-ron-dudley-400x320.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS I USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Then, with the nictitating membrane pulled over the eye, the bird began to retch.<\/p>\n<p>These few images showing pellet ejection may give the viewer the impression that it all happened very quickly. It didn\u2019t. From beginning to end the whole process took over four minutes.\u00a0During that time there\u00a0were alternating periods of retching and resting and it didn\u2019t look to be a particularly pleasant experience for the hawk.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45051\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-4060b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4060b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;RON DUDLEY&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345634567&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons hawk 4060b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4060b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45051\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4060b-ron-dudley.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons hawk 4060b ron dudley\" width=\"900\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4060b-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4060b-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4060b-ron-dudley-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4060b-ron-dudley-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4060b-ron-dudley-400x320.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS I USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">There was no light in the eye\u00a0in many of my images but I wanted to include a shot with the\u00a0bird in this posture\u00a0to show the effort required to expel the pellet.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45052\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-4070b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4070b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;RON DUDLEY&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345634573&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons hawk 4070b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4070b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45052\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4070b-ron-dudley.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons hawk 4070b ron dudley\" width=\"900\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4070b-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4070b-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4070b-ron-dudley-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4070b-ron-dudley-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4070b-ron-dudley-400x320.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS I USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Here the pellet begins to emerge.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45053\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-4077b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4077b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;RON DUDLEY&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345656174&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons hawk 4077b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4077b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45053\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4077b-ron-dudley.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons hawk 4077b ron dudley\" width=\"900\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4077b-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4077b-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4077b-ron-dudley-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4077b-ron-dudley-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4077b-ron-dudley-400x320.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS I USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">As the first pellet clears the beak\u00a0we can see that there\u2019s a second pellet lined up\u00a0right behind it.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45054\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-4081b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4081b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;RON DUDLEY&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345634575&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons hawk 4081b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4081b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45054\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4081b-ron-dudley.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons hawk 4081b ron dudley\" width=\"900\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4081b-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4081b-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4081b-ron-dudley-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4081b-ron-dudley-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4081b-ron-dudley-400x320.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS I USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">As the first pellet fell away the second one was still partially in the mouth of the hawk.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45055\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-4082b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4082b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"732,900\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;RON DUDLEY&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345634575&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons hawk 4082b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4082b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45055\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4082b-ron-dudley.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons hawk 4082b ron dudley\" width=\"732\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4082b-ron-dudley.jpg 732w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4082b-ron-dudley-244x300.jpg 244w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4082b-ron-dudley-122x150.jpg 122w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4082b-ron-dudley-400x492.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS I USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">But the larger second pellet was a little stubborn.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45056\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-4084b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4084b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;RON DUDLEY&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345656175&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons hawk 4084b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4084b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45056\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4084b-ron-dudley.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons hawk 4084b ron dudley\" width=\"900\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4084b-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4084b-ron-dudley-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4084b-ron-dudley-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4084b-ron-dudley-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4084b-ron-dudley-400x320.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS I USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Then the second pellet finally emerged\u2026<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45057\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-4085b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4085b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"750,900\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;RON DUDLEY&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345634575&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons hawk 4085b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4085b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45057\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4085b-ron-dudley.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons hawk 4085b ron dudley\" width=\"750\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4085b-ron-dudley.jpg 750w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4085b-ron-dudley-250x300.jpg 250w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4085b-ron-dudley-125x150.jpg 125w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4085b-ron-dudley-400x480.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS I USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">and\u00a0fell to the ground.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45058\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-4097b-ron-dudley\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4097b-ron-dudley.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,643\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;RON DUDLEY&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345656335&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.000625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons hawk 4097b ron dudley\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4097b-ron-dudley.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45058\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4097b-ron-dudley.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons hawk 4097b ron dudley\" width=\"900\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4097b-ron-dudley.jpg 900w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4097b-ron-dudley-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4097b-ron-dudley-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4097b-ron-dudley-150x107.jpg 150w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4097b-ron-dudley-400x286.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS I USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Soon after the last pellet was ejected the hawk turned on the perch and gave me a nice wing stretch \u2013 almost as if to demonstrate its relief that the whole unpleasant experience was over.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45060\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-pellets-0056-ron-dudley1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-pellets-0056-ron-dudley1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,600\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 40D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345632098&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;85&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.000625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons-hawk-pellets-0056-ron-dudley[1]\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-pellets-0056-ron-dudley1.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45060\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-pellets-0056-ron-dudley1.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons-hawk-pellets-0056-ron-dudley[1]\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-pellets-0056-ron-dudley1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-pellets-0056-ron-dudley1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-pellets-0056-ron-dudley1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-pellets-0056-ron-dudley1-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-pellets-0056-ron-dudley1-400x267.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When the hawk flew off I was able to retrieve both pellets from beneath the fence post \u2013 still wet and warm.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45059\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/swainsons-hawk-dissected-pellets-0103-ron-dudley11\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-dissected-pellets-0103-ron-dudley11.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,792\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 40D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1345968861&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;59&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.02&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swainsons-hawk-dissected-pellets-0103-ron-dudley1[1]\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-dissected-pellets-0103-ron-dudley11.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45059\" src=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-dissected-pellets-0103-ron-dudley11.jpg\" alt=\"swainsons-hawk-dissected-pellets-0103-ron-dudley1[1]\" width=\"900\" height=\"792\" srcset=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-dissected-pellets-0103-ron-dudley11.jpg 900w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-dissected-pellets-0103-ron-dudley11-300x264.jpg 300w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-dissected-pellets-0103-ron-dudley11-768x676.jpg 768w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-dissected-pellets-0103-ron-dudley11-150x132.jpg 150w, https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-dissected-pellets-0103-ron-dudley11-400x352.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When I arrived home a few days later I carefully dissected both pellets.<\/p>\n<p>They consisted almost entirely of small mammal fur (meadow\u00a0voles?) with only\u00a0four small bones (they appeared to be ribs, not teeth) and two\u00a0tiny bone fragments along with a few stray\u00a0grass\u00a0stems. There were no chitinous insect exoskeletons to be found and that surprised me. I know that grasshoppers form a major part of\u00a0the\u00a0diet of Swainson&#8217;s Hawks and in past years I had observed these birds eating grasshoppers in the same area.\u00a0There were grasshoppers galore where I found this bird so I had assumed it was primarily eating Orthopterans.<\/p>\n<p>So I did a little research. It turns out that Swainson\u2019s Hawks do eat mostly insects, especially grasshoppers, for\u00a0much of the year but during breeding season they\u00a0switch their diet to\u00a0rodents, rabbits and reptiles.<\/p>\n<p>Yet another reminder of the potential pitfalls of making assumptions\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Ron<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This hawk actually expelled two pellets and I was able to photograph (and dissect) both of them.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/13\/swainsons-hawk-regurgitating-pellets-then-i-dissected-them\/\"><span>Continue reading<\/span><i class=\"crycon-right-dir\"><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":45056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_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_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[334,392,1493,645],"tags":[647,3259,3260,190,220,646],"class_list":["post-45047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-birds","category-feeding-bird-behaviors","category-montana-favorite-locations","category-swainsons-hawks","tag-buteo-swainsoni","tag-casting-pellets","tag-dissected-pellets","tag-juvenile","tag-montana-2","tag-swainsons-hawk"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/swainsons-hawk-4084b-ron-dudley.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1zzJh-bIz","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45047"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45047\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}