Red-tailed Hawks – Buteo jamaicensis
Buteos are medium to large hawks with broad wings, wide bodies and short tails that soar in wide lazy circles and most often hunt from a high perch from which they drop down to their prey.
Male Cassin’s Finch
I've only had one opportunity to photograph Cassin's Finches so far and that was in the small town of Lakeview where the headquarters of Red Rock Lakes national Wildlife Refuge is located.
Swainson’s Hawk in the Centennial Valley
Swainson's Hawks are one of the three Buteos that I see with regularity on my visits to the Centennial Valley of Montana, Red-tailed and Ferruginous Hawks are the other two.
Owl See You at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
I've said before that owls fascinate me; probably more times than I can count, and Short-eared Owls are always a delight.
I have Montana’s birds on my mind
This time of the year I start dreaming about the Centennial Valley of Montana and of the birds that call the valley home during the summer.
A Lark, Or Two, Or Four
The only native true lark that lives and breeds in North America is the Horned Lark.
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk expelling a pellet
Last summer I was able to see and photograph a juvenile Swainson's Hawk expelling a pellet in Beaverhead County, Montana.
Red-tailed Hawk adults
Just a few Red-tailed Hawk images that I have been meaning to process and share.
Western Tanager male at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
This Western Tanager was photographed last summer at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley of Beaverhead County, Montana.
Immature Red-tailed, Rough-legged, Ferruginous and Swainson’s Hawks
Today I thought I would post images of the juvenile Buteos that I see most often in Utah and Montana, they are Red-tailed, Rough-legged, Ferruginous and Swainson's Hawks.
Goodbye 2012 – Hello 2013
2012 was a fantastic year for me as a photographer and I am looking forward to the joys that 2013 will bring. Happy New Year to all.
Short-eared Owl at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
Due to a crash in the vole population at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge last summer there weren't many Short-eared Owls around the refuge but the few that were there were real beauties.
Sandhill Crane at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
So, each time we see or hear Sandhill Cranes we are listening to and looking at a real living fossil.
Swainson’s Hawk in the Centennial Valley of Montana
This adult Swainson's had two juveniles nearby that were perched on the conifer tree that their natal nest was in and the sun was getting close to setting. Sometimes I wish I could "speak" raptor so I could know what they are saying.
Concentration – Red-tailed Hawk Juvenile
This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was concentrating on some thing on the ground when I photographed it.
Hail Yeah – Storm at Red Rock Lakes Dam
Since I began photographing birds in Florida I have gotten used to getting wet to photograph shorebirds, wringing wet at times but my gear has never been as wet as it was the day I took these images from inside the pickup.
Male Short-eared Owl in low light
I don't always get what I want though; for example, I wanted this male Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) I photographed at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana in good light.
Weathered Old Buildings in Montana
Although my primary focus is on bird and nature photography I also enjoy seeing and photographing the old wooden buildings that I come across in my journeys.
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk in Beaverhead County, Montana
Not only did I see numerous Red-tailed Hawk juveniles on my recent trip to Montana, I also saw quite a few Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) juveniles too.
Smokey sunrises in southwestern Montana
The smoke-filled skies created interesting conditions during the sunrises I viewed in while in southwestern Montana recently.
An American Badger – Paying Attention Pays Off
Wow! There were two ebony eyes peeking at me through the light golden grasses along with the strikingly marked face of an American Badger!
Fun with a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk
While I was away in Montana for eight days starting last week I had a fantastic time photographing this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk.
Ferruginous Hawk in Beaverhead County, Montana
Ferruginous Hawks are the largest hawks found in North America. They inhabit low elevation, open areas in the western United States and some locations in southwestern Canada and winter in southwestern US and Mexico.
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk from the north side of the Centennial Valley, Montana
On my mid-July journey to southwestern Montana it seemed like there were juvenile hawks every where I looked, the east and west side of the Centennial Valley and the south and north sides too.
Lupines of the Centennial Valley of Montana
I believe these are Silvery Lupine (Lupinus argenteus), taken on my recent trip to southwestern Montana using my bird setup to do a close up image.
Willets in Beaverhead County, Montana
These images were taken at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana. There were two Willets; an adult and a juvenile, on the shoreline of the lower lake that delighted me.
Willet and Boreal Bluet Damselfly
On the first day of my recent trip to southwestern Montana I came across two Willets (Tringa semipalmata) near a lake shore, one was an adult and one was a juvenile.
A pair of Red-tailed Hawks in early morning light
Having one Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) in my viewfinder is a joy and getting two of them in the same frame is even more of a delight.
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk in Beaverhead County, Montana
These images of a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk in Beaverhead County were taken on Sunday morning, June 22nd while leaving southwestern Montana to head back to Utah.
Clearing Storm at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
As many of my regular viewers know I love Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. Just by being there I can feel my blood pressure drop, a sense of peace flows through my body and my mind (and camera) focuses on the wonders and intricacies of nature.