Hooked on Hawks: Blame it on Jerry

Rough-legged Hawk in Davis County, UT USA

Back in 2009 I was on a date with my wife. No it hasn't been that long since we dated. We were on the waiting list at a restaurant and decided to kill some time by checking out the Barnes & Noble Bookstore across the parking lot from the restaurant.  For some reason, a childhood interest in birds bubbled up and led me over to field guides for birds. I decided to purchase one of the guides that night because I found the diversity of the birds fascinating and I wanted to study them further. When my married daughter saw the field guide on my desk at home she asked about it and made a mental note that led her to purchase some inexpensive binoculars for my birthday. One thing led to another and I found myself becoming a "birder".

After about one year of delving into "birding" I wanted to learn more about hawks. I had become familiar with a local club called Utah County Birders and asked one of their members who might help me learn more about hawks. I was told to consider some guy named Jerry who was supposed to be a raptor expert. Jerry was posting occasional emails to a Utah birding listserv and I noticed he did seem to know a bit about raptors when I read his emails. Like countless other newbie birders I sent Jerry a photo of one of the most common hawks in North America and asked for his help. I look at that situation now and realize how little I knew at the time. Jerry responded with the ID for the hawk and shared the important field marks for identifying it as a juvenile light-morph Red-tailed Hawk.

The simple Red-tailed Hawk question I had led to other questions. When I found myself perplexed by trying to decide whether I'd seen and photographed a Cooper's Hawk or a Sharp-shinned Hawk I sent off an email to Jerry. I got a response with some tips on distinguishing between the two look-alike species.  At one time I learned that Jerry had actually written books on identifying raptors so I did a Google search and realized that I was exchanging emails with North America's premier raptor expert. It wasn't too long before I found myself standing on the side of a mountain in Salt Lake City being dumbfounded by how quickly Jerry was able to identify hawks in flight and at great distances. He described how the harrier has a buoyant flight style, compared how eagles soar in large, lazy circles compared to the tighter circular soaring of a hawk, and distinguished between Cooper's Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks based on the slight nuances in shape and flight style. I learned later that I spurred one of Jerry's blog posts when I was asking him about subtle nuances that help him distinguish between similar looking species in flight. It made sense when I connected his comments with being able to easily distinguish between my identical twin sons at a distance based on the subtle nuances of posture and movement. Jerry helped me identify my first Harlan's Hawk. Imagine my surprise when I bought a book to which Jerry contributed and I saw an image of a Harlan's Hawk he and I both observed and photographed in Utah. Jerry fueled my fire for gaining more and more knowledge of North America's raptors. In short, I blame Jerry Liguori for getting me hooked on hawks.

Check out Jerry's website: Click Here
Buy his books: http://www.jerryliguori.com/store
Follow his blog posts on the Hawkwatch International website by clicking here.

Here are some images of hawk species I saw and/or photographed for my first time during 2014. I owe a lot to Jerry when it comes to my continued interest and increasing knowledge of North America's fascinating birds of prey.

Harris's Hawk Near Apache Junction, AZ USA

Common Black-Hawk in Washington County, UT USA

Red-shouldered Hawk in Long Beach, CA USA

This one is not a new species, but it was the first time I identified and photo a sub-adult Swainson's Hawk. I credit this ID to having studied Jerry Liguori's books and learning that the Swainson's Hawk is the only buteo that has subadult plumage. Other buteos go from juvenile to adult plumage as they go through their first molt.

Swainson's Hawk Sub-adult in Salt Lake City, UT USA

I'll sign off with a line Jerry wrote in my copy of one of his books, "...and I hope you see lots of hawks!"

Some Chocolate Goodness For an ID Challenge

Last Sunday I posted the following image to Birdtalk and UBIRD, Utah's two main listservs for birders. It was an invitation for subscribing birders to identify the species of the hawk since it is a type of hawk not often seen in Utah. I used the word "type" loosely. The species is actually very common from spring to early fall since these hawks breed in Utah. The color, however, is not so common. Dark morphs of this species make up less than 10% of their total population, but dark morphs of this species are a little more common in the US western states. I chose the image below because some tell-tale traits of the species are hidden behind the pole and beneath the tucked wings. The IDs that were presented to me in response to the invitation suggested dark morph Ferruginous Hawk, primarily because of how dark the bird was and what looked like a large yellow gape. Many birders know that the gape of a Ferruginous Hawk is larger than other hawks and usually a bright yellow. Was that the right answer?

Here's another view of the same bird. She successfully raised a single chick in a nest I located in Lehi, Utah. I studied and photographed her and her mate and then their chick several times after discovering their nest site. Two new clues are shared in the image below. While the gape is yellow and seems long as you'd expect for a Ferruginous Hawk, the legs (tarsi) are missing the feathers that grow all the way down to the feet on a Ferruginous Hawk. Also, the primary feathers of the wings can be seen extending beyond the tip of the tail. Juvenile Ferruginous Hawks have tails that are noticeably longer than the tips of their wings when they are perched. Adult Ferruginous Hawks have tails shorter than their juveniles, but they are still slightly longer than the tips of their wings when perched. That is not the case with our current hawk.

The next two images show the tail and under wings of the bird. It is easier to tell now that this is an adult Swainson's Hawk. She was the most beautiful Swainson's Hawk I'd seen until this past Saturday

Dark Female Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT

Dark Female Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT

A friend and I were on our way home from an early check for fall migrants on the south end of Utah lake Saturday when I spotted two Swainson's Hawks perched in a tree near the Spanish Fork River in Lakeshore. The larger of the two was facing away from us as we approached. The smaller one, a male, was facing toward us. He had a rather familiar looking plumage. As we passed the tree with the larger bird to our driver's side I could see that it had a very dark chest and belly. I told my friend I was going to stop because that was a beautiful dark hawk. I'm a sucker for raptors, especially the chocolate ones. We passed the hawk to a safe turning point and then stopped the truck so my friend could take over the driving. I took a position in the bed of the truck behind the cab so the truck would become a moving blind. The hawk allowed us to photograph it for a few minutes before it moved to another branch and then eventually flew off to perch on a power pole.

Dark Female Swainson's Hawk in Lakeshore, UT

Dark Female Swainson's Hawk in Lakeshore, UT

That was what I refer to as some real chocolate goodness. I really enjoy observing and photographing dark-morph Red-tailed, Swainson's, and Ferruginous Hawks, especially when they have a smooth chocolate color.

Below is an image of the smaller mate of yesterday's beautiful dark female. Adult males often show gray, rather than a brown/chestnut color in their cheeks. That trait is visible in the image below. Size is usually difficult to assess unless you see two birds perched in close proximity, but yesterday's dark female was noticeably larger than her mate.

Male Swainson's Hawk in Lakeshore, UT

I've enjoyed seeing two truly dark Swainson's Hawks in recent weeks. These hawks are on the move now toward South America. Most Swainson's Hawks will have left Utah by the middle of September so the next few weeks will be the last weeks for locating them in Utah until they return for the next breeding season around the middle of April.

The Desert Delivers: Claws, Fangs, Flora, and Talons

A birding trip to the West Desert of Utah County this past Saturday was already a success before we found the bird we were seeking. My friend Eric P and I were attempting to locate some Short-eared Owls when we came upon an American Badger that was returning to its den after a night of wandering the desert. Birds and photography prompt our adventures, but we always have our eyes and ears alert for the discovery of the secretive and fascinating mammals and reptiles that also live in the habitats we explore. Saturday's adventure included the badger, a Great Basin Rattlesnake, a beautiful Blazing Star flower, some owls, and a variety of hawks that were learning to fly, hunting, and launching from the tops of power poles.

The sun was still below the horizon when we caught our first glimpse of the badger. It stopped in its path momentarily and stared at us before continuing its stroll toward one of the entrances to a den. We started our observation from within my Tacoma, but we eventually ended up sitting on the high ground above and across from the badger. We watched as it went in and out of the den several times. It went in with a clean muzzle and came out with a dirty one.

American Badger in the West Desert of Utah County, UT

American Badger in the West Desert of Utah County, UT

American Badger in the West Desert of Utah County, UT

American Badger in the West Desert of Utah County, UT

The Short-eared Owls eluded us for quite some time during the early morning hours, but we persisted in our efforts to locate them. Eric and I decided to spend some time on foot so we could venture from the dirt road and course the desert grass which was dotted with sagebrush and other low-profile vegetation. I mentioned to Eric that it was a bit surprising that we'd never accidentally stepped on a rattlesnake during the many forays we'd made into perfect rattlesnake territory . Eric agreed and we continued our search for the owls. I noticed and became briefly distracted from the owl hunt by the beautiful yellow blossoms of Smoothstem Blazing Stars. The yellow blossoms were a bright touch of color to the otherwise dull landscape. The Blazing Star is appropriately named with its five yellow petals and burst of numerous stamens. These blossoms open at dusk and remain open until the morning hours when they close for the day.  They are capable of self pollinating when pollinators are unavailable, but the plant I observed was being pollinated by a honey bee.

Smoothstem Blazing Star in the West Desert of Utah County, UT

The bee landed on and clung to several of the stamens as they slowly gave in to the weight of its body. The pollen grains building up on the sides of the bee's hind legs are visible in the image below. These clumps of pollen are sometimes referred to as pollen baskets. Some of the pollen grains will fall from the basket and be transferred to the stigma of flowers to enable the pollination process. I rejoined Eric in the owl search after wrapping up my brief fascination with the Blazing Star and the Honey Bee.

Honey Bee on Smoothstem Blazing Star in the West Desert of Utah County, UT

A decision to check one unlikely location ended up flushing our first Short-eared Owl. Soon we discovered a second owl. We knew that approaching them in the truck (essentially a mobile blind) was better than on foot, but the owls ended up moving farther from the road. We began another search on foot and put some space between us to better cover the ground. We hadn't gone far when Eric happened upon a Great Basin Rattlesnake that was sunning itself. The snake began to take cover in a sagebrush as I made my way toward Eric's location, but I was able to see the tail end of the snake as it slithered beneath a sagebrush. We didn't have a snake hook with us so we improvised by extending one leg of a tripod I retrieved from the truck. We pulled the snake from beneath the sagebrush to allow brief (and safe) examination and photography. The snake turned out to be about three feet long with a diameter of about two inches.

Great Basin Rattlesnake in the West Desert of Utah County, UT

Great Basin Rattlesnake in the West Desert of Utah County, UT

Great Basin Rattlesnake in the West Desert of Utah County, UT

We made another brief effort to track down some Short-eared Owls after spending time with the rattlesnake before deciding to turn our focus toward the hawks in the desert. We had seen a family of Swainson's Hawks where the dirt road connected to the highway so we made our way in that direction. The family of hawks was still there when we arrived at the location so we captured a few images of the parents and juveniles. One of the parents was a light-morph showing the typical dark bib on the chest and the white under wing coverts contrasting with darker flight feathers. 

Adult Light-morph Swainson's Hawk Above the West Desert of Utah County, UT

The juvenile captured in flight below appears to be an intermediate or dark-morph. The markings on the chest would be fewer for a light morph and possibly heavier for a dark morph.

Juvenile Intermediate-morph Swainson's Hawk Above the West Desert of Utah County, UT

After getting back on the highway and beginning our ride home we came across a Red-tailed Hawk perched on a power line. It reminded me of finding a Swainson's Hawk perched on a wire several months earlier. I'm not sure why, but I had never really noticed large hawks perching on wires before. Saturday we saw both a Red-tailed and a Swainson's Hawk perched on wires before getting home Saturday. The Red-tailed Hawk below chose the wire over the top of the pole.

Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT

A second Red-tailed Hawk was perched in a more common position on the top of a pole. We pulled over to photograph the hawk and captured several images just as it launched from its perch.

Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT

Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT

Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT

Yet another Red-tailed Hawk launched from it's perch as we pulled over to observe it momentarily.

Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT

Red-tailed Hawk Near Fairfield, UT

Just as we arrived at the edge of town we discovered yet another family of Swainson's Hawks. Both parents and at least two juveniles were present. One of the juveniles flew from and returned to a perch on a power line.

Juvenile Intermediate-morph Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT

We had just one more stop to make on our way home. I had tentatively planned to drop by and check on a Swainson's Hawk nest site I had been watching for the past couple of months. I knew that the single chick from the nest had recently fledged so I was curious to see how it was doing. The image below is from a previous visit to the nest site. It was windy that day so mom and dad were leaning into the wind to maintain their perches. Dad is an intermediate morph (on the left) and mom is a less common dark morph. Dad is showing the gray cheeks often displayed by adult males.

Adult Intermediate-morph Male (left) and Dark-morph Female Swainson's Hawks in Lehi, UT

The image below was captured when the single chick was covered primarily in white downy feathers. It was a very curious bird when I observed it for the first time.

Swainson's Hawk Chick in Nest in Lehi, UT

The nest appeared to have been used beyond its capacity when we arrived Saturday. I think the chick had tromped around it so much that it had no choice but to branch out and then fledge.

Remains of a Swainson's Hawk Nest in Lehi, UT

The young bird was perched on a power line about thirty feet from the vacated nest. Mom was still present, but dad was absent during our brief visit. I was impressed by the transition that had taken place between the time I saw the fluffy white chick and the juvenile hawk we observed Saturday morning. 

Recently Fledged Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT

Mom did a few flyovers and gave some calls to alert her youngster to our presence. She was such a beautiful dark-morph. Very few that I've seen are as dark, nearly black, as this mother hawk.  

Dark-morph Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT

Dark-morph Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT

It was approaching 11 AM and Eric and I both had other commitments to keep. We acknowledged we'd had a great morning and made our way home. I can't wait to see what we discover during our next tag team adventure in Utah's amazing outdoors.

A Range of Swainson's Hawk Images

Swainson's Hawks are in high gear these days with breeding. Most are past the egg laying stage and are feeding young ones in the nest or helping them learn to fly and hunt.  These hawks spend our winter months in places like Argentina and return to Utah around mid- to late April. I discover Swainson's Hawk nests nearly every few days as I do my daily commute to work and run errands around town. I've had a few encounters with some handsome and beautiful Swainson's recently so I thought I'd share some of the images of these awesome raptors.

Most large (buteo-type) hawks have two basic plumages, juvenile and adult. Swainson's Hawks, however, have three--juvenile, sub-adult, and adult. Swainson's Hawk adults also show slight differences between male and female. That is not typically the case for large hawks. The images I've captured in recent days include birds of all three morphs (light, intermediate, and dark), all three ages (juvenile, subadult, and adult), and male and female.

Light Morph Juvenile Swainson's Hawk Near Fairfield, UT

Light Morph Juvenile Swainson's Hawk Near Fairfield, UT

Male Intermediate Morph Adult Swainson's Hawk Being Attacked by Western Kingbird in Lehi, UT
Males tend to show gray rather than brown cheeks

Intermediate Morph Adult Swainson's Hawk Being Attacked by Western Kingbird in Lehi, UT

Male Intermediate Morph Adult Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT
Males tend to show gray rather than brown cheeks

Intermediate Morph Adult Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT

Female Dark Morph Adult Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT
Females have a chestnut colored head and cheeks

Female Dark Morph Adult Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT
Females have a chestnut colored head and cheeks

Female Dark Morph Adult Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT
Females have a chestnut colored head and cheeks

Male Intermediate Morph (note gray cheeks) and Female Dark Morph Adult Swainson's Hawks in Lehi, UT

Subadult Swainson's Hawk in Taylorsville, UT

Female Intermediate Morph Swainson's Hawk in Lehi, UT

Male Swainson's Hawk Being Attacked by Barn Swallow in Pleasant Grove, UT

Male Swainson's Hawk Being Attacked by Barn Swallow in Pleasant Grove, UT

Subadult Swainson's Hawk in Taylorsville, UT

Subadult Swainson's Hawk in Taylorsville, UT

Subadult Swainson's Hawk in Taylorsville, UT

Swainson's Hawk Chick in Nest in Lehi, UT