This gorgeous dark morph ferruginous hawk clearly already had, wearing the evidence all over its face. It has been a regular in one of the spots I frequent although always perched on a utility pole in the worst position and unwilling to give me any action shots. On this morning a couple of weeks ago, it at least was perched near the top, allowing me to get a closeup without all of the manmade distractions.
While ferruginous hawks are common here in the winter, the dark morphs are pretty rare so getting to see one is a treat. That brilliant yellow beak and mouth gape stand out against its dark brown plumage.
