Dorsal view of a Rough-legged Hawk in flightDorsal view of a Rough-legged Hawk in flight – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/5000, ISO 800, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

I woke up to a fine layer of snow on the ground this morning and silly as it may sound that gets me excited for the birds that over winter in the Salt Lake Valley such as this Rough-legged Hawk.

Rough-legged Hawks that breed high on the Arctic tundra are a raptor that I only see during the winter months in Utah. This Rough-legged Hawk was photographed during the winter of 2012 as it hunted over a field at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. The light had been variable that day which is why my ISO and shutter speed were so high.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to view more of my Rough-legged Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.