Judging by the stare, this guy (or gal) means business when it comes to traffic control. 😉
This past winter there was unusually high number of these cold weather residents on the Colorado plains. While we do see them, this year there were more than normal and it made for a lot of great photo opportunities as they can be quite tolerant of people.
This particular one was keeping watch over a field, looking for a chance to snag a meal. It was certainly aware of me but chose to worry more about finding something to eat than the guy with the camera.
Rough Legged Hawks spend their summers in the Arctic where they mate and then spend #winters in southern Canada and the lower 48. One of their most notable features is that their legs are feathered all the way down to the toes, one of only three American raptors like that. The other two being the Ferruginous Hawk and the Golden Eagle.
