But it’s a start.
Every early winter I look forward to my first high quality Rough-legged Hawk photos of the year. Roughies have been here for several weeks now but I’m still trying. I had hopes of achieving my goal on a trip to Bear River MBR yesterday morning but it didn’t quite happen. I saw several of them but they were all too far away or they were on ugly road signs. Or both.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This Roughie allowed me my closest scrape with success. I had a clear view of ‘her’, she was on a natural perch and in good light but I just couldn’t get close enough. The tree she was perched on was inaccessible and no public road got any closer than the one I was on.
This photo has been cropped far too much for great detail and she’s still pretty small in the frame. It’s been cropped to 32.5 % of the original image.
This older photo is more like what I had in mind.
But the first photo above is a start for this year and it inspires me to keep trying.
Ron
I really like the setting! Good luck for more great settings and sticky roughies closer to you. 😀
Thanks. I’m probably going to need it.
This hawk with its buffy coloration makes me think “winter” (like Red-tails, with their coppery colors make me think “summer”). Truly gorgeous raptor, thanks for sharing your latest capture, even if not meeting your highest standards. (I did enjoy your conversation with EC on that subject!)
Chris, I associate them with winter primarily because that’s the only time I see them.
Most any conversation with EC is an interesting one.
She’s a looker! I love her pose and her expression. This is a really good shot, regardless of the crop factor.
Hope you get many more chances with these beauties!
Thanks, Marty. Fingers crossed.
I guess it is good they are a migrant. Birders might take them for advantage if they were here all year. I am thrilled to see both anytime. I actually saw a roughie in City Creek Canyon yesterday. I thought it was a redtail, since they are in the area, but when it flew closer I saw it was a roughie.
April, nice to know there’s at least one that close to the city.
They are beautiful and I love that penetrating and disdainful gaze.
However, for a change I am going to take a (small) exception to your post.
The rough-legged hawk is not a work in progress, your captures of the beauty, grace and style are… (and are pretty damn good already).
Hmm, I wondered if anyone would take my title that way.
There are some things where I am a picker of nits. Language (despite my imperfect grasp) is one of them. Which I am sure that you as a champion photographic nit picker will understand.
I do.
On the other hand it could be argued that Rough-legged Hawks are still a work in progress. Evolution never stops… 🙂
True. And of course you are right. Mind you I often wonder whether our particular species is evolving or devolving…
You’ve got your Roughie and I have a Sharp-Shinned hawk hanging around.
Lucky us 😊
I’ll bet yours was closer than mine was, Diana.
OH…my favorite! She is a beauty for sure. They have returned here and have been frequenting the marsh area. Like yours though staying far away but as the season progresses they do move closer to the road. Also the ShortEar Owls have returned this year…after a two year hiatus. But they too have been staying far off…perhaps the fact that evening brings 25-35 vehicles parked on the only road through the marsh is a factor with some driving back and forth. I can’t do photography with crowds like that so I’ll take my chance on waiting for the novelty to wear down. Most of the pictures that people have been posting are flight shots at a distance. The owls tend to be evening feeders here so daylight runs out pretty fast.
I agee Kathy – they become more tolerant as the winter wears on.
In my experience with Short-eared Owls around here they tend to be most active in early to mid-morning.
It’s a start! 😀 They ARE beautiful hawks…..
Yup, it is and they are.
Roughies are just flat beautiful–I think that’s a raptor thing, but still 😉 Here’s wishing you greater luck and a return of these jewels to Antelope Island!
Thanks, Laura. I’ve always thought they’re the most handsome of the buteos I photograph. I think that’s due in part to the shape of their face and bill.
I’ll take whatever you got of these beauties. Not a bad start at all. Their face strikes me as a little bit Red-tailed Hawk and a little bit Northern Harrier.
I agree Lyle, not a bad start. Still a ways to go though…
Not common to see your Roughies here so it is a treat to see your photos. I have never seen one. Hope you get to see more and some more like that outstanding in-flight shot.
It has been unseasonably warm here and yesterday I bumped into a little Mexican Garter Snake sunning itself that reminded me that I need to be careful because of course a few Rattlesnakes will be doing the same.
Everett, Roughies used to be common here in winter but I’ve been seeing far fewer of them in recent years. There were times when I’d see over a dozen of them on Antelope Island on a single morning bur I haven’t seen one on the island for several years now.