Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The Winter Hawk - Rough-legged Hawk


The Rough-legged hawks that have spent the winter in Madison County and the surrounding areas are now being replaced by the Swainson's Hawk.  The Rough-legged are making their migration above the Artic Circle to raise their young.

They have spent the winter harvesting rodents in fields and area marshes.  They are a God-send to area farmers as they will kill and eat four to five rodents a day.  They can locate their prey under the snow.

I have seen over 20 of these beautiful birds sitting on an irrigation wheel-line waiting for dinner to be delivered or stumbled upon.

Only a few are left as they are replaced by the Red-tailed and Swainson's for the summer.
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21 comments:

  1. TexWisGirlApril 6, 2011 at 7:17 AM

    Beautiful captures of these gorgeous birds!!!

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  2. Carol BlackburnApril 6, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    Bill, these are awesome photos. I would love to paint a watercolor of the second one. May I have your permission to do so?

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  3. jooApril 6, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    Gorgeous photos of this beautiful bird!

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  4. theconstantwalkerApril 6, 2011 at 11:19 AM

    A great series of images.
    A beautiful bird.

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  5. eileeninmdApril 6, 2011 at 5:11 PM

    Awesome shots of the Rough Legged. I was able to see this hawk working a field last month, it was exciting.

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  6. Amila KanchanaApril 6, 2011 at 5:20 PM

    Hi Bill,This is a grand creature! The second pic is my favorite.

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  7. Pat UlrichApril 6, 2011 at 8:08 PM

    great shots -- what a lovely raptor!

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  8. SpringmanApril 6, 2011 at 8:23 PM

    Gorgeous captures. It's hard to imagine seeing twenty RL Hawks at once. These are classic poses for sure!

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  9. CarlettaApril 6, 2011 at 9:07 PM

    Wow Bill - wonderful shots!
    I really like the second shot. It's as if this beauty was posing for you. Really nice work!

    Thanks for your visit. :)

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  10. Mike B. @ slugyard.comApril 6, 2011 at 9:52 PM

    That is one beautiful bird! Amazing patterns.

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  11. VictoriaApril 6, 2011 at 10:08 PM

    Thanks for dropping by to visit my Sharp-shinned Hawk... I was so pleased to see your comment! Your images of the Rough-legged Hawk are very nice... especially the one with the wings fully spread as he is preparing to take off (or just landed?). :-)

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  12. Ryan AnkenyApril 7, 2011 at 6:11 AM

    Amazing birds aren't they? I had several this winter in KY, both light and dark phase. Easily my favorite hawk now.

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  13. NatureFootstepApril 7, 2011 at 1:54 PM

    I coudl use one of those beauties right now. I´ve got rats coming to my balcony. :(

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  14. Sallie (FullTime-Life)April 7, 2011 at 6:24 PM

    Fantastic shots -- you get the most beautiful angles, just incredible. We've always noticed how hawks seem to have their territory marked out on those wires -- they seem to sit almost a measured distance from each other.

    I didn't have a bird post this week, so am appreciating the chance to do virtual birding. Thanks.

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  15. DrillerAAApril 7, 2011 at 8:00 PM

    Amazing captures of a beautiful creature.

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  16. magiceyeApril 7, 2011 at 9:11 PM

    brilliant captures all!!

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  17. tinyskilletApril 8, 2011 at 3:32 AM

    Wow great shots! We have a couple of hawks that hang out in our neighborhood.

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  18. Betsy Banks AdamsApril 9, 2011 at 6:32 AM

    Hi Bill, That is interesting... I've never heard of these hawks...SO--where do they go in summer--farther north????? They are gorgeous --especially in flight.

    Glad they help the farmers... Wish we had some hawks here to rid us of our pesky squirrels and chipmunks... ha ha

    Have a great weekend.
    Betsy

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  19. UnknownApril 10, 2011 at 11:11 AM

    Beautiful patterns on those wings. The bottom shot is truly fantastic!

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  20. Sharon MApril 10, 2011 at 7:17 PM

    Gorgeous photos. The third one is spectacular.

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  21. tiptoethruphylsgarden.blogspot.comApril 11, 2011 at 6:04 AM

    Love your captures of the hawks.I can really see the difference in them the way you photographed them.phyllis

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