Female rufous Red-tailed Hawk stretching – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
This morning I wanted to share a few photos of a stunning rufous Red-tailed Hawk female that I photographed over a period of a couple of years.
It has been 8 days since I have been out into the field primarily due to cloudy weather and a few days because the weather forecasters were wrong. As a result of being stuck at home I have sorting through some of my older images that I took on warmer, bird-filled days.
I have many wonderful memories of this rufous Red-tailed Hawk female on her own, with her mate, and as she raised her young. This particular hawk has been seen on my site previously, these photos of her haven’t been and were taken in March of 2019.
Adult female Red-tailed Hawk resting on a cliff – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
There were a couple of times that had it not been for my keen eyesight I might have missed her perched on the rocks and cliff faces because with her rufous coloration she blended right in. Thankfully I was able to find, admire, and photograph her many times on many mornings.
Red-tailed Hawk nesting season is not so far away now. They will begin building or rebuilding their nests soon.
Female Red-tailed Hawk flying over a shrub – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/5000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light, not baited
I hope that I will be able to see and photograph this rufous Red-tailed Hawk again this spring and summer simply because she is such a gorgeous bird. At rest, stretching, on the nest, eating, hunting, or in flight, this striking hawk has always taken my breath away.
Life is good.
Mia
To view more of my Red-tailed Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species click here.
Wild and beautiful and inspirational. What a wonderful set of pics of my favorite bird. The last pic in the series is worthy of the Smithsonian. Thanks Mia.
She is a splendid creature! Interesting how she can blend in with the help of her gorgeous plumage.
She is simply glorious. I hope you DO find her again in the coming spring. Probably nearly as much as you do.
I hope you find her again, she is beautiful.
Did you see posted photos of pelicans on one of the social media sites? I wondered if the strong south storms would bring pelicans.
Gorgeous!
She is CERTAINLY an outrageous beauty and thank you for sharing that beauty! Hands down, redtails are my favorite bird, earning that position through partnering with Mariah, a female redtail, for the last 25 years. Once I learned to listen to her and step out of my stupid humanity, she’s been an amazing and mostly patient teacher who made me rethink EVERYTHING I thought I knew and reevaluate all my priorities. They are truly special beings, even among the entire bird/critter community.
I love the red tail hawk color! Great captures!
Very interesting to see the Rufus morph. Great photos, and a wonderful look-back to warmer days 🙂