{"id":52296,"date":"2017-10-07T05:03:07","date_gmt":"2017-10-07T11:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=52296"},"modified":"2017-10-07T05:14:41","modified_gmt":"2017-10-07T11:14:41","slug":"my-first-ferruginous-hawk-in-over-four-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/07\/my-first-ferruginous-hawk-in-over-four-months\/","title":{"rendered":"My First Ferruginous Hawk In Over Four Months"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s been way too long.<\/p>\n

Over the years Ferruginous Hawks have been a favorite subject of mine even though my opportunities with them have never been numerous. I see them occasionally here in Utah but I’ve always been more successful with them in Montana. Normally by now I’d have made about four\u00a0camping trips to Big Sky Country but for a variety of reasons I’ve only been there once this summer and Ferrugs were uncharacteristically\u00a0elusive on that trip. So the last time I’ve spent any quality time with a Ferruginous Hawk was here in Utah way back on June 2 of this year\u00a0– over four months ago.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>1\/3200, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n

But yesterday morning this handsome bird in Utah’s west desert allowed me a close approach. I like the rustic old fence post, the darker, layered background and the interesting, partial side light on the hawk. Of course I also wanted some takeoff and flight shots but when the bird eventually launched it took off away from me.<\/p>\n

I suppose on some levels\u00a0this photo is\u00a0just\u00a0another “bird on a stick” but I do like the stick and you can imagine how I feel about finally having another opportunity with this truly regal species – the largest and most powerful of all of our buteos. I often think of Ferruginous\u00a0Hawks as “wannabe Golden Eagles” and Birds of North America Online apparently agrees:<\/p>\n