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Young Swainson’s hawk tests its wings

August 27, 2022 by Tony Leave a Comment

Young Swainson’s hawk tests its wings
A juvenile Swainson’s hawk tests its wings on the plains of Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

With a very long flight to Argentina to prepare for, this juvenile needs to get in shape fast. Taken a couple weeks ago, this Swainson’s hawk nest had two little ones this year.

While its coloring belies its age, this one was already nearly as big as dad. While it had already taken its first flights, it was a bit unsteady in some breezy winds but used the extra lift the wind provided to practice hopping up and down while flapping.

Swainson’s hawks spend their winters in South America and have one of the longest migrations of any raptor. In the coming weeks, they will begin gathering and then start the long journey.

Argentinians return, begin taking over the housing market

April 27, 2022 by Tony Leave a Comment

Argentinians return, begin taking over the housing market
A Swainson’s hawk brings a stick back to a perspective nest site. (© Tony’s Takes)

And just like that, the Swainson’s hawks are back for the summer and in force it would appear. I saw no less than five different pairs in a relatively small area this past Sunday. Last year seemed to be a down year for them so it was good to see them again.

This handsome fellow was definitely trying to impress his mate, working hard on getting a new nest started. On of another pair actually was staking out its territory by antagonizing a much larger golden eagle that happened to be in the area.

These are really fun birds to photograph as they are usually quite tolerant of humans and can put on a nice show. Their insanely long migration from Argentina makes them pretty fascinating to me.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge gets serious about enforcement

July 26, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge gets serious about enforcement
A Swainson’s hawk stands guard at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. (© Tony’s Takes)

Certainly I have seen my share of bad behavior at the refuge by visitors and it appears the managers are taking it seriously. This new guard was ensuring the regulations about where you are allowed to go were adhered to closely. Swainson’s hawks are only here for the summer though so I assume this is only a temporary hire.

Sound off – It is Friday!

July 16, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

Sound off – It is Friday!
A Swainson’s hawk makes a lot of noise from its perch in Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

Can you hear me now?

This Swainson’s hawk was very vocal and did not seem to approve of having its picture taken recently.

These summertime visitors to Colorado appear in great numbers in the spring as they arrive for mating season. In late summer, they will begin their journey to their winter homes in South America.

As this image shows, they are quite vocal, sounding off to voice their displeasure. Their call is in many ways the quintessential sound you imagine when you think of a hawk screeching.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and make some noise! 😉  

Western kingbird takes on a Swainson’s hawk

June 29, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

Western kingbird takes on a Swainson’s hawk
A western kingbird chases after a Swainson’s hawk. (© Tony’s Takes)

A little bird with a ton of attitude!

Western kingbirds are notorious for their aggressiveness toward much bigger raptors. These bullies will take on any hawk or eagle that they feel is intruding on their space and this one, clearly, was not happy with the hawk’s presence.

The hawk was perched on a pole, enjoying a calm morning on the Great Plains when the kingbird decided to attack. After making multiple dives at the perched hawk, the hawk decided it had enough and departed. That wasn’t good enough for the kingbird who gave pursuit, raising a ruckus and taking swipes at the Swainson.

I’ve seen kingbirds do this to other hawks and even much larger bald eagles, they simply have no fear.

A western kingbird chases after a Swainson's hawk. (© Tony's Takes)
A western kingbird chases after a Swainson’s hawk. (© Tony’s Takes)
A western kingbird chases after a Swainson's hawk. (© Tony's Takes)
A western kingbird chases after a Swainson’s hawk. (© Tony’s Takes)

Swainson’s hawk takes flight

May 3, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

Swainson’s hawk takes flight
A Swainson’s hawk launches into the air. (© Tony’s Takes)

Having just completed an incredible migration from Argentina, this gorgeous hawk wasn’t too tired to use its wings to give me a bit of a show. It gave me some nice poses as it sat in this tree and then got bored with me and decided to move on.

More and more of these raptors are arriving on the Colorado plains where they will create their summer homes, mate, and fledge young. Come the fall, they will make the long journey back to South America. Some years, at the height of summer, I will spot more of these than even the year-round red-tailed hawks that we routinely see.

Video slideshow: Top shots 2020 – Raptors

January 2, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

Oh how I love these types of birds. I previously shared my top shots of bald eagles and owls, now we look at some images of other types of eagles, hawks and falcons. Raptors are extraordinary creatures, ferocious predators but also quite beautiful and widely varied. From the tiny American kestrel to the monstrous golden eagle, all hold a special fascination for me and are quite often the focus of my images. Here’s a look back at my favorite captures of these creatures of the sky from my 2020 photo year.

Mama Swainson’s hawk serves up prairie dog for breakfast

August 15, 2020 by Tony Leave a Comment

Mama Swainson’s hawk serves up prairie dog for breakfast
A female Swainson’s hawk and her recently fledged offspring enjoy breakfast on a pole. (© Tony’s Takes)

I thought my photo excursion was done for the day when I happened across these two. Mom had caught a prairie dog and was feeding it to her recently fledged young one.

Of course they stopped eating when I arrived but it was still a pretty cool scene. It won’t be long and these two will begin their long, long migration to Argentina for the winter.

This was taken with my new Canon R5 and I have to say, I continue to be quite impressed with it. The extraordinary high resolution really brings out the details. In this shot, notice the wood of the pole and the birds’ feathers. Just perfect!

Argentinians return to the United States

April 21, 2020 by Tony Leave a Comment

Argentinians return to the United States
A Swainson’s hawk hangs out on a post on the Colorado plains. (© Tony’s Takes)

I figured it was a matter of days before I spotted my first Swainson’s hawk and sure enough, I did this past weekend. This handsome one was staking out a pretty common spot for them at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.

These guys have one of the longest migrations of any animal, coming all the way from Argentina to the western United States for mating season. In the summer here in Colorado, it almost seems like their numbers are greater than the more common, year-round resident red tail hawk.

I’m sure I will get many more pictures of them this summer, hopefully ones that are more active than this one. I reckon it was resting after a 6,000 mile commute.

Swainson’s hawk struggles to stay awake

June 26, 2019 by Tony Leave a Comment

Swainson’s hawk struggles to stay awake
A Swainson’s hawk seems to be having a hard time staying awake while perched in Adams County, Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

Being a new parent is a struggle. Sleep is a rarity and it is just a lot of work. It certainly appeared its new role as a father was taking a toll on this handsome fellow. Despite it being early in the morning when they would be most active, this guy was having a hard time keeping his eyes open and seemed to be trying to catch a quick nap.

A Swainson's hawk looks into the rising sun. (© Tony’s Takes)
A Swainson’s hawk looks into the rising sun. (© Tony’s Takes)
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