Normally Red Tailed Hawks are skittish and don’t let me get too close but a couple days ago though I found one that was willing to let me approach. These are probably the most common raptors we see here in Colorado, oftentimes perched on utility poles.
Get off my tree!
“Get off my tree!” Cold and snowy here in Denver, Colorado today but that didn’t stop me – and the wildlife. This Bald Eagle didn’t seem very happy with having to share its part of the tree with a Red Tailed Hawk. The eagle was extremely vocal in voicing its displeasure.
Handsome Red Tailed Hawk enjoys the afternoon sun
Red Tails, in my experience, are pretty skittish and don’t usually let you get close. This particular one however didn’t seem to mind me at all. It seemed quite interested in the prairie dog colony next door so was probably more focused on dinner than me. 😉
View more pics from today’s photo trip below the main image.
Uneasy roost mates
Eagles and hawks are genetically similar but it isn’t too often you see them right next to each other. This past weekend, while taking pictures of a Bald Eagle perched on a power pole in Adams County, Colorado, the eagle was surprisingly joined on its roost by a young Red Tailed Hawk.
I was zoomed in on the eagle and noticed he was focused in on something to his right – he had a look on his face like, “What the heck?” Pulling my eye away from the viewfinder I discover a hawk had joined the eagle on the opposite side of the pole!
The young hawk didn’t seem to think anything of it but the eagle clearly did not appreciate his new roost mate. They sat together for a few minutes before the hawk headed off to hunt a nearby prairie dog colony. It was very cool to see and somewhat amusing.
Scroll below to see more images of the event.
Prairie dog – It’s whats for breakfast
Prairie dog. It’s whats for breakfast. This young Red Tailed Hawk was enjoying his meal in a lightly populated suburban area of northeast Denver this morning. Truly an absolutely amazing morning of picture taking (thanks once again to a friend’s tip) so there is much more to come.
Scroll down below the featured image for more of my encounter with this hawk.
Stand out light morph juvenile Red Tail Hawk
Out for a drive after work today along a common route I take when I have time to look for raptors and I can across the gorgeous specimen.
Its predominantly white chest and head were striking and not something I had seen before in a hawk. Not being sure exactly what I had captured, I posted a query in a wildlife group.
The general consensus was a young light morph Red Tail. Other possibilities that were dismissed (but might not be wrong) are a Krider’s Hawk (this one is thought to be not white enough) or a Rough Legged Hawk (this one doesn’t have wrist bands and the feathers don’t go to the feet). No matter what it is, it is pretty unique and cool IMHO!
As always, comments are welcomed and sharing encouraged.
I’ve got my eye on you!
A Red Tailed Hawk keeps close watch with its one good eye. I have seen this young one multiple times in the same area of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in recent weeks. Oftentimes it has the one eye closed and its eyelid doesn’t look quite right. When it does open its ‘bad’ eye, it looks almost cross-eyed. Thankfully whatever it may have wrong with it doesn’t seem to impact it otherwise as it flies perfectly fine and runs away from me just like any otherraptor. 😉
A Bevy of Birds (and a Bison) with New Tamron Lens
Juvenile Red Tailed Hawk on a cold morning
This young one was hanging out trying to warm up on a very cold morning this past Sunday. Like most Red Tails, it wasn’t feeling particularly sociable and didn’t let me get too close but I did manage a couple nice shots before it took off. Taken at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Denver, Colorado.
Red-Tailed Hawk takes flight
This image, taken a couple weeks ago in Adams County, Colorado, shows a Red Tailed Hawk just after it launched from a nearby post. It was more than willing to give my son and I some great poses and action shots.