Post-poop look from a Red-tailed HawkPost-poop look from a Red-tailed Hawk  – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Good morning from Idaho! The weather mostly cooperated yesterday and so did the birds. Or, I guess I should say that I was able to get my lens on some birds in decent light, at a decent distance which returned decent results.

Red-tailed Hawks were my most photographed species yesterday morning in the Centennial Valley of southwestern Montana and I had fun with them. The photo above shows the look I got from an adult Red-tailed Hawk right after it let “it” fly, by “it” I mean the hawk took a dump.

Red-tailed Hawk balancing on a wireRed-tailed Hawk balancing on a wire  – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Then I photographed one that appeared to be getting ready for  tightrope walk on a high wire. Truthfully I don’t see Red-tailed Hawks perched on wires all that often but they do perch on wires.

Bleached blond Red-tailed HawkBleached blond Red-tailed Hawk  – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

And this beauty looks like it got a bad bleach job at a beauty shop but the sun actually bleached the feathers on the Red-tailed Hawk’s head. This is normal for this time of the year and the head feathers will soon molt. Also, this hawk still has light eyes of a sub-adult but the tail of an adult Red-tailed.

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk on a gnarly fenceJuvenile Red-tailed Hawk on a gnarly fence  – Nikon D500, f8, 1/800, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light, not baited

The I photographed one Red-tailed Hawk juvenile from a brood of four! The other three juveniles were across the road in bad light so I focused on this one until two birding ladies in a dark blue pickup drove up and chased it away.

Red-tailed Hawk adult on a fence post painted redRed-tailed Hawk adult on a fence post painted red  – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

And finally a Red-tailed Hawk on a fence post painted red in front of a hillside covered in conifers and below that a field of sage and lupines. When gates and fence posts are painted red that means “NO hunting” and the owner of the land is serious about that.

Five different Centennial Valley Red-tailed Hawks, same valley but in different locations in the valley and each of them were a joy to photograph.

Life is good. I love birds.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Red-tailed Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.