Wild Bird Wednesday

Wild Bird Wednesday (08)
This was one of those days when you wished you could afford a huge expensive lens so you could capture the beauty of this raptor.  The Rough Legged Hawk is one of only two, that I know of, that can hover over a field in search of pray.  I knew as soon as I saw this hawk hovering what I was looking at.  They are rare around here and usually don't pass through our area this early in the year ... but there he/she was and I was thrilled.

This is how far away he actually was, but I could see him clearly ... my camera did the best it could.  :(

Here you can get a good look at the coloring.  He is a light morph and the signature banding at the wrist is clear. 

Here you can see the white at the base of the tail and the dark banding on the tip.

 

I tampered (PSE) with this shot to try to bring out the rich color of his feathers ... the bright sunlight seemed to wash out some of his beauty.  In my lifetime, I have only once caught a glimpse of the Rough Legged Hawk in the open, so this was a big thrill for me.  Hope you can share in my excitement.