Red-tailed Hawk And An Unusual View Of The Tetons

Red-tailed Hawks were abundant along the Idaho/Montana border last week.

 

red-tailed-hawk-3533-ron-dudley

1/2500, 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

Many of them were hunting along a railroad track near the continental divide and I caught this one soon after it left one perch for another utility pole. I like the wing position, the hanging feet, the spread tail and especially the complimentary colors of the background with the entire scene bathed in warm evening light. A high percentage of the red-tails I saw were juveniles which suggests to me that they had a productive breeding season.

 

 

tetons-4332-ron-dudley

1/80, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in

On clear mornings when we’d leave our campsite for a day of shooting in the valleys this is the sight that greeted us as we came down the mountain – the backside of the Teton Mountains in profile. They were 70 miles away so their silhouette was small but I always enjoyed that iconic profile in the distance. They look much larger here than they really were because the image was taken with my 500mm lens.

We’ve now arrived home from our camping trip. We had a couple of days with pretty good light but then the area became socked in with thick clouds and frustrated our bird photography efforts so we decided to pack it in and leave the mountains to the archery hunters who were as thick as flies.

Ron

 

19 Comments

  1. Ha-ha! I just noticed that the splay of feather tips behind the head, could look a lot like the armored spines of a dinosaur. Hope that doesn’t ruin the beautiful portrait for you.

  2. I love Teton Valley, Jackson, the Grand Tetons….do you remember the Turd Bird I got you from Jackson one year at South High….I think of it often with your fascination of birds! Thanks for being a great teacher then and now!

  3. Oooh. Ahhhh.
    Bliss.
    Megathanks.

  4. What wonderful shots Ron! Thanks for sharing.

    Charlotte

  5. Welcome home! Sorry you had to cut your trip short. I would not recognize this profile of the Tetons (I have been through the national park at least twice, so I have seen them) but I like it a lot. Also like the Red-tail shot. I’m glad to hear that they have done well this year.

  6. What a wonderful picture of the redtail! I love mountains and consider the Tetons the most beautiful of all. The first time I saw them, I drove right off the road!!!

    • Someday I’d like to hear the end of that story, Patty…

      • We ended up in a field of yellow sunflower-like wildflowers, scaring the beejeekus out of my youngest daughter and a neice that I’d picked up in Provo…almost did it again two or three more times! Those mountains are like jewelry and an overwhelming sight for first timers! We ended up camping at Lizard Creek…and preventing some crazy folks from rushing at a moose calf (and coming between it and its mama! ) I was horrified, automatically yelled STOP!–they were so surprised they just froze as mama trotted across the road, paused to snort and give them the evil eye, then trotted after her baby. SCARY!!! When things get tough, I sometimes try to picture myself living in a small, rustic cabin in a field of wildflowers at the base of those mountains…with a dog, a horse and an owl or other raptor for company. I’ve designed that cabin many, many times!

  7. The word “Tetons” caught my eye on my email notification and I was thrilled to see your unusual photo of them. Living in Teton Valley I have many, many different photos of the Tetons but I don’t have one like this. I love to see different views and backgrounds and it always warms my heart to see these incredible mountains. I’ve lived here all my life and never get tired of them. Thank you for sharing your photo of the mighty “Grand” and its companions.

    • You’re lucky to live there, Marya, and it sounds like you appreciate your good fortune. I’m glad that shot was a different perspective than what you usually see.

  8. That is a beautiful shot of the retail – everything fell into place for that one! 🙂 Those mornings with silhouettes always refresh my soul. 🙂
    It is bow hunting season for sure! Fall is upon us. 🙂

  9. Ah what a lovely redtail! I so love seeing juvenile redtails at this stage of their lives–well, OK, I’m really not fussy. Any time works! And the Tetons…sigh! Again, thank you so much for sharing your talents and its resultant beauty with us. You started my day off splendidly (as usual)!

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