October 1st is go time for any Swainson’s Hawks that haven’t already left the Northern Plains, but just before that deadline, I enjoyed something of a going away present. I was still somewhat relaxed after leaving my office chair to begin an afternoon birding drive, but just a mile south of home a beautiful Swainson’s Hawk presented herself as a potential photo subject. As I watched for any concern from the hawk I coasted into position, checking the sunlight and shadows on the hawk as I guided my car well off the side of the road. At what appeared to be the best spot with the most direct sunlight and no sign of a shadow line, I took a few initial photos of the Latina hawk as she stood upright atop a big hay bale.

By staying alert and anticipating the next move of the perched Swainson‘s Hawk, I kept her in focus while watching for any telltale indicators that she might take off. With little notice the hawk took flight, angling a bit in my direction (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/2500 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

Often times, at that point I would move on, but I’ve learned that spending a little more time with a promising bird can yield unexpected dividends – the bird can show a new behavior, spread its wings, or reveal an interesting detail about the individual or even the species. I always emphasize keeping alert and anticipating a bird’s next move, so kept the hawk in focus while watching for any telltale indicators that she might take flight. With only a moment‘s notice the Latin lady took off, angling a bit in my direction. I prefer to wait for a bird to fold its legs under its tail to show its true flight position, and by that time the hawk was actually in the process of turning directly toward me – this was it, a chance for a spectacular photo, or maybe a series of photos.

With the sunlight behind me and the hawk flying toward my position, I took a series of photographs as she flew ever-closer, sharing the best representative images here (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/2500 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

Indeed, it was as though the hawk was targeting me, taking deep wingbeats as if to emphasize its ever-closer, ever more rapid approach. That’s where my camera’s auto-focus came into play, as did my choice of the Drive Mode setting: ‘Continuous Shooting.’ The auto-focus isn’t as fail-safe as it sounds, because you are required to keep your focal point on the bird as it moves while holding the shutter button lightly engaged in the process. Then, when you see a sharp focus, you hold the shutter button down and the camera will take a continuous series of photographs at a high rate of speed that varies with the camera model you are using, but usually ranges from 3 to 10 or more images per second! Click-click-click-click-click, click-click-click-click – or more.

Keeping the bird in focus as she flew toward me was not an automatic success, but in this case the bird, the camera, and the photographer created a nice representative flight series under good lighting conditions (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/1250 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

How exciting to have the impressive Swainson’s Hawk surprise me like that, and how fortunate. Frankly, I didn’t realize what a nice series of photographs were recorded until I took a closer look as I began reviewing the photographs I took during that particular birding drive last week – what luck! Soon this elegant Swainson’s Hawk would take a much more decisive flight, beginning its extensive fall migration flight south to Argentina, crossing the central states to the northwest edge of the Gulf of Mexico, probably near Corpus Christi, Texas, where she may be sighted during one of the HawkWatch’s daily counts.

Without stopping the elegant hawk will likely cross the border and funnel inland with others along the “River of Raptors” that migrate parallel to the east coast of Mexico, hopefully passing 1 of the 2 busy hawkwatch stations near Veracruz, Mexico, then onward. She could pass by 1 of the count sites in Costa Rica or Panama, then continue into South America where she might soar near the Colombia hawkwatch site in Tolima, before crossing into the broad tropical forests east of the Andes in the Amazon River basin. How remarkably different the habitat along the way changes from the grassland-agricultural habitat south of my office!

By the time this hawk reaches eastern Bolivia and Paraguay, the tropical forests change to drier woodlands with more and more grassland; and after reaching north-central Argentina, this Swainson’s Hawk’s migration will be all but complete having reached the Pampas, the open grasslands and agricultural fields not so different from its Dakota nesting range. Having migrated as much as 6,000 miles, which may take 5 or 6 weeks, the now Latin hawk will spend the next 5 months speaking Spanish in Argentina – ha-ha. Unless I unexpectedly travel far south this winter, I won’t see another Swainson’s Hawk until about April 20th next spring. Adios Halcones Swainson’s a Argentina!

A second Swainson’s Hawk provided a different view as it took flight with a snake in its talons, showing its backside as it banked into the sunlight (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/4000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

Mas Fotos!

But wait; the photo series described above was only the first photo episode that eventful afternoon. As I approached the south side of Charo Marsh, a dozen miles southeast, I sighted a hawk standing in the grass adjacent to the road. When I tried to approach, the hawk quickly became concerned, turned and took flight upward to the top of a pole. That’s when I could see the garter snake it clutched in its talons. Now I was faced with the fact that although I didn’t want to disturb the hawk with its next meal, I had to pass by the hawk one way or the other.

While giving the situation a second thought, the still unsettled Swainson’s took question of my next move out of the equation by taking flight. I quickly focused on the hawk with the hope that it might turn in my favor. It was a good bet, and I took the first photo as the hawk banked in my direction, showing the top side of its body plumage as it turned. Of course, I followed through as the hawk began to parallel my position and spread it wings in a deep downward stroke, and in a moment it was past me and out of the primo afternoon sunlight.

These photos were taken the last week of September, and by now virtually all Swainson’s Hawks have initiated their long migration south to their wintering range in the grasslands of central Argentina (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/4000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

The morals of the story are to be ready, adjust your position as needed, keep the birds’ welfare foremost in the photo process, and follow the movements of the birds, especially the progress of their flight – all with the sun at your back and the bird in front of you while keeping the bird focused within your lens as you follow its movements. The chances of getting 2 fine photo opportunities within a short period of time was pretty lucky, but the birds provided the answer to my luck when they turned in my direction, one in close quarters and one from a medium distance; one showing its front and ventral side, the other showing its backside – perfecto amiga and amigo; mucho gracias!

Article and Photographs by Paul Konrad

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