{"id":96085,"date":"2021-03-16T06:19:37","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T12:19:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=96085"},"modified":"2021-03-16T08:37:21","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T14:37:21","slug":"red-tailed-hawks-are-in-nesting-mode-big-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2021\/03\/16\/red-tailed-hawks-are-in-nesting-mode-big-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Red-tailed Hawks Are In Nesting Mode, Big Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

Red-tails are pairing up all over the place.<\/p>\n

The numerous island mountain ranges within western Utah’s Basin and Range country provide ideal nesting habitat for many raptor species and two days ago I saw ample evidence of that fact when I spent some time out there. Raptor numbers are noticeably increasing and Red-tailed Hawks in particular have paired up and are beginning nesting activities. I had good looks at four pairs of red-tails that were obviously bonded and at least some of them were building or refurbishing nests.<\/p>\n

This is one of them.<\/p>\n

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1\/1600, f\/6.3, 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

This shot was taken just after one of the hawks landed on the nest and before it had time to fold its wings and lower its tail. At this point they nearly always had their backs to me but this time I got a fairly good look at the head with the hawk in an interesting posture. With the head in shade I was pleasantly surprised to get light in the eye.<\/p>\n

I haven’t spent enough time with these hawks to confidently know which one is the male and which one is the female so I’ll refer to them generically. The bird in most of these photos is missing a primary feather on its right wing but I’m not sure if it’s the male or the female.<\/p>\n

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1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 800, 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

This is the same hawk taking off from the nest.<\/p>\n

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1\/2500, f\/7.1, ISO 800, 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

I had several opportunities to photograph them bringing nesting material to the nest but they always had their backs to me or they were so close to the cliff I found it very difficult to get my active focus point locked onto the bird instead of the rocks in the background.<\/p>\n

This hawk was carrying the nesting material in its talons instead of its beak. The stick is longer than it first appears to be – notice that one end of it can be seen sticking up behind the middle of the left wing.<\/p>\n

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1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 800, 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

The same bird after it had incorporated the stick into the nest.<\/p>\n

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1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 800, 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

It was tricky to get decent takeoff shots from the nest, in part because the light there was so contrasty with lots of shadows and brightly lit rocks.<\/p>\n

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1\/2500, f\/7.1, ISO 800, 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

These typically colored western red-tails were so incredibly cryptic against the rocks of similar colors they almost disappeared when they had the cliff face in the background. I struggled to spot them in flight almost as much as my camera struggled to keep focus points locked onto them. I consider this photo a success even though the hawk blends into the background.<\/p>\n

It’s a very long drive for me to get to remote locations like this but I still hope to make enough trips so that I can follow these hawks and others through the nesting season.<\/p>\n

I’d love to photograph their recently fledged youngsters learning the ropes.<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

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Notes:<\/em><\/p>\n