ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK

 

It had started to snow so Gracie and I were heading home after not seeing much that afternoon.  No Snowy Owls,  And a juvenile Bald Eagle too far away to capture.

 

 And then I spotted this Rough-legged Hawk in a tree top.  It’s always exciting to see this breed because they’re only here in the winter.  But, with the snow and poor light, the hawk appeared as monochromatic as the landscape so we moved on.

A few days later, I returned to the same area and found the hawk across the street atop a power pole.  Unfortunately, it was still a gray sky day.

 

The hawk stood up so I could see its legs, feathered all the way to its toes.  Only three raptors have that feature. 

 

I thought it was ready to bolt when it stood.  Turns out, it had other “business” to take care of.  OMG!  And in public!

 

The next day was perfect for picture-taking with lots of blue skies and sunshine so I headed out again.  I immediately spotted the Rough-legged on another pole.  It didn’t perch for long, though, preferring to soar in the beautiful sky.

 

 I clicked away as the hawk flight dazzled me.  Powerful wing flaps led to beautiful glides.

 

The hawk eventually flew out of my range, but not until it gave me a thrilling photoshoot.   It doesn’t get much better than this.

 

Yesterday was another beautiful day and I headed out once again.  I immediately saw three hawks in the same area as previously.  Two were on power poles, but the third was atop a tall, broken off tree stump.

 It was exciting for me to photograph this hawk in good sunlight and capture the bird’s true colors.  Also nice to capture it in a more natural environment.