Some bird photographers might not share a photo like this Rough-legged Hawk in dense fog that I took two years ago today at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Rough-legged Hawk in dense fog at Bear River MBR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, UtahRough-legged Hawk in dense fog at Bear River MBR – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 800, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Some of those photographers may not have even turned their cameras on to take a photo like this one.

Anyone who has followed my adventures into the field here at On The Wing Photography knows: I’m not one of those photographers.

For me, taking an image like this one shows the harsh conditions my favorite subjects endure here in northern Utah during the winter. The dense fog, frigid temperatures, snow, and frost are all part of their lives. Birds have it rough here during the coldest months of the year.

I feel and believe that it is important to show that with my photos, at times.

So far this winter, we haven’t had much snow down in the valleys – certainly not like we had last winter. Maybe last year’s record-breaking snowfall was simply a fluke.

Rough-legged Hawks migrate here from their breeding grounds high in the arctic tundra and taiga of northern Canada and Alaska. They are also found across the pond in Europe and Russia, where they are called Rough-legged Buzzards.

The wide open land at Bear River MBR is the kind of habitat where these hawks can be found in during the winter in northern Utah.

I haven’t seen many Rough-legged Hawks so far this season, but it really hasn’t been all that cold yet. It is supposed to be in the low 50s for the next few days. Maybe January will bring colder temps and Rough-legged Hawks.

We shall see.

Life is good.

Mia

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