Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)
My husband and I had heard there were Rough-legged Hawks in the area but we hadn't seen any...until we headed home from a photo shoot a little north of where we live. Truth be told, I passed this hawk and then turned around! From a distance I thought it was a red-tailed hawk. But as I passed it I knew I had been WRONG.
Head turned 180°
He/she let me take a few photos and them flew off to a tree where it's mate was sitting. So there were actually TWO of them, but they were way too far off to take another photo. They are visiting from The Arctic.
Can you believe this bird can turn it's head around 180°?
I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE
60 comments:
Thats a great couple of shots - I love the love the whole colour tone of the pictures.
Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
great sighting and image.
The better to see you with my dear. :-)
I got a red tail hawk hanging around my bird feeder. I guess if you are hungry you gotta eat.
PS: Is time to put a super zoom lens on your shopping list?
( ♥_♥ )
Nice photos:-)
Oooh ... very nicely shot. I also like the church steeple, below.
It is a beautiful looking hawk! That head turn thing is creepy.. Great photos. Happy Tuesday!
Nice!
Really great photos!
That's something I can't do! Nice shots!
Great photos, so much detail. I'll bet you were excited to spot this bird.
Darla
It almost looks like his head is on backwards Tina :) Fantastic shots, nice work!
Quite a handsome bird!
I adore hawks and this is one reason why...the way they can move...
The colours are fantastic, and you've caught him so beautifully!
i think this might be the prettiest of hawks that I have seen. he is a beauty and i see why they named him rough legs.. the colors in the background make a perfect shot of him. that is some trick with the head turning
How priceless! I would surely have one of these photos hanging on a wall in my house. Possibly even the one where he's looking back, as if greeting, somewhere that folks would always catch it!
Wouldn't you love to be able to turn your head with that ease??? I have trouble with turning 90 degrees part of the time!
Excellent captures....I do not know the type of hawk I am seeing other than the Northern Harriers. Or maybe a kestrel.
Beautiful shots. I can rarely turn around and go back for a shot of a hawk and still have it there.
Spectacular pictures Tina!
He's is gorgeous. Nothing wrong with turning around, we do it a lot.
beautiful shots!
What a great find. Wonderful pictures.
Nice photos of the hawk! How cool to see one.
Majestic!
you really show the awe
ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
<3
I love your shots for the day -- as always, Tina!! You always capture such incredible detail!! The hawk is beautiful -- wish I could turn my head around that far!!
Wow! Excellent focus!
Very cool.. and well captured in perfect light. Where there's two, there might just be a family about to happen.
Wow, amazing shots, Tina!
I have to get my bird book out to see the difference, EG! Great shots.
Glad you found the article about the murals.
Excellent portraits: the second one is almost scary!
An exciting find, and lovely images.
I would be visiting from the Arctic too a friend of mine says it is -63c where she lives. Yikes. Great shots. Hug B
Very beautiful pictures !I like those birds, they seem to be so proud .
Wow 180 degrees headturn. Impressive. You got them a really nice shot.
Super pictures!!!!...:)JP
Great photos of the hawk - how lucky that you turned around for a second look!
Congrats on the picture! This is one I have yet to find in the wild. Pretty awesome hawks. Because hawks are awesome:)
Wonderful, wonderful portraits!!! I Cannot believe the head!! I thought only owls could do that, why did we not know?
You've captured some excellent photos here. Great!
Some of my neighbours can do that 180 degree thing - there's no keeping any secrets from them....
Have a nice day.
Great shots of the hawk.
Fabulous shots of a gorgeous bird!
Very handsome bird. Looks well-equipped for the cold weather with lots of feathers. So glad you spotted him(her).
For serious birders, this must have been a big moment.
I wish I could turn my head that way. That might get rid of the pain in my neck. Nice close ups.
Great shots! I love how he's looking over his back at you.
Great eye, and incredible twist of the neck.
Great shots. This is a beautiful hawk.
It's looking directly at you..... wow... what a shot....
Two really excellent shots. As someone who woke up with a stiff neck this morning I'm very jealous of that hawk's ability to swivel his head!
It's a beautiful bird. We have hawks here but they're such stealthy creatures I rarely see them.
Awesome captures of this gorgeous bird.
Checking you out! :-) The range of motion reminds me of an owl. Great shots! Too bad it flew too far. perhaps the couple is finding a nesting spot...that would be great for you! I had an encounter with a Harris Hawk on my way home the other day as well, but it didn't fly off. I'm hoping there's more than one about since these tend to stay in family groups!
You are so good at these pictures! I'm amazed, really! I saw a hawk on a golf course last week but by the time I turned the cart around and got my camera out it was gone! :(
neat photos :)
I love to watch a hawk fly. And no, I had no idea they could turn their heads so far. That's crazy.
=)
sometimes I wish I could turn my head like that :)
we have a lot of these hawks in our area. they perch on the telephone poles along the highway.
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