Well this was kind of a neat one. I went for a photo walk after work yesterday and as I was returning to my truck, I see the silhouette of a hawk in a tree. Assuming it was a run-of-the-mill red tail, I wasn’t particularly careful with my approach.

I wish I had been as when I got close, I realized it was a Harlan’s, a somewhat rare sub-species of the red tail. These raptors are notable for their dark plumage, far different from the more common red tail.

I managed a few shots of it as it took off, not particularly good ones though. As it moved off, much to my surprise, it went and joined a second one in circling the area. I’ll definitely be checking back to see if I can see this pair again and get better images.

Taken in Adams County, Colorado.