Rough-legged hawks and the advancing spring
Through the winter, Rough-legged Hawks, as with the adult above and the juvenile below, keep watch over the Prairies. These hawks are equipped for the cold temperatures and many choose to skip the migration and over winter here. As the weather warms, their cousins, the Red-tailed, Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s and Broad-winged Hawks are starting to return.
One of the great joys of spring for me is the return of these hawks to the fields and grasslands. However with a few great encounters with the Rough-legged hawks shown here, I’m not in any particular rush.
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The robins have been coming home for the last couple of weeks and a flight of about thirty Dark-eyed Juncos swarmed our backyard a couple of days ago. So, spring seems close at hand. I’m looking forward to more time with all the different hawks that spend their summers raising chicks here.
Christopher Martin Photography 
Astonishing!
April 7, 2015 at 7:57 pm
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April 18, 2013 at 11:17 am
Stunning photos.
April 17, 2013 at 4:34 pm
Great shots!!!
April 17, 2013 at 11:48 am
what a beautiful birds, never get tired of seeing hawks, acciptors and falcons around here. once i seen a large hawk in the yard across the street it was walking around as if it was confused or something, I watched it for a while and it took off and I guessed it was a broad winged hawk based on markings and such. hardly ever see them in flight of course I could just be confusing them with young redtails. we have quite a few coopers hawks around here they keep flying close to me (I have a very big open yard with lots of woods, baby ground hogs and mice among other things)
April 17, 2013 at 6:49 am
Beautiful. Never get tired of them.
April 16, 2013 at 9:55 pm
Reblogged this on bearspawprint.
April 16, 2013 at 5:29 pm