The unexpected return of the chocolate-colored dark morph Rough-legged Hawk provided an opportunity to photograph the trusting raptor as it hunted from a weathered perch.
Certain birds provide special opportunities and subtle interactions, in this case repeatedly, under different conditions. During this photo session, Paul waited for an extended period for clouds to clear for the afternoon sun to illuminate the impressive “chocolate Rough-leg.”
One of the most trusting Snowy Owls that Paul has encountered in years provided a memorable photo session and a rather unique image of the bird with its body plumage extended during a maintenance ruffle after preening.
Looking like a fantastic Christmas tree ornament atop a prominent spruce tree, the Snowy Owl provided a nice duo of holiday photos shared with many friends across the country.
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Happy New Year! I ended this column in the last issue with a local birding prediction: “For a couple months, birds will be few and far between, but the birds I do find will mostly be exciting,” and that held especially true over the holidays. A trusting Snowy Owl started it all, Great Horned Owls filled in some of the gaps, a special Bald Eagle made a SoDak field trip memorable along with 3 special Golden Eagles – among 60 raptors total that day! The chocolate Rough-legged Hawk made a Christmas Eve appearance, along with a rare winter Ferruginous Hawk, both within 3 miles of my office!
SoDak Excitement
The Saturday before Christmas, the promise of a light wind and ample sunshine led me to drive south to my “SoDak” winter raptor hotspot, centered in Pierre. I found a total of 60 raptors during the day, and 4 very trusting eagles provided exciting photo opportunities – a Bald Eagle and 3 Goldens. You can learn more about those interactions and see some of the resulting photos in the Bird Photography article at the end of this issue of The Birding Wire.
Overall, my raptor count included 6 Golden Eagles, 17 Bald Eagles, 18 Rough-legged Hawks, 17 Red-tailed Hawks (including 2 dark morph Harlan’s Red-tails), and 2 American Kestrels. It was notable not to see any Prairie Falcons, Merlins, Northern Harriers, Ferruginous Hawks, or adult male Rough-legged Hawks. Nonetheless, it was a great day of birding across a wide swath of Dakota, and I saw a few species no longer found up north, including a Northern Flicker, a couple small flocks of American Robins, and a flock of about 50 resident Greater Prairie Chickens.
Chocolate for Christmas
During a pre-Christmas Eve drive, just 3 miles north of home a yearling Ferruginous Hawk caught my attention. It is the first Ferrug I’ve ever seen during winter in this area and in this state, and the first I’ve seen north of home any time of the year. The next bird along the way was a Great Horned Owl framed in a familiar barn window – possibly a familiar owl too. A distant Rough-legged Hawk added a nice documentary sighting, and as I approached home I checked back on the Ferruginous Hawk, which was still standing in the open field.
As I reversed direction and headed home, another hawk was prominently perched next to the road. It obviously wasn’t there 3 minutes before – a nice surprise – but it was even more surprising when I realized this was the big female dark morph Rough-legged Hawk – the chocolate-colored Rough-leg! She was intently focused below her perch, actively hunting at sunset, so wished her well and hoped to see her again soon. It had been 3 weeks since I last observed this hawk, and I gave up on seeing her again long ago; yet, there she was, within sight of the last location I watched her hunting.
During a Christmas Day drive, I did not see a bird! But the following day, after seeing a Bald Eagle 4 miles to the north and a colorful male Ring-necked Pheasant ½ mile north upon my return, I was excited to re-find the chocolate Rough-legged Hawk perched on a sign next to the road less than ½ mile south of home! She was most accommodating to permit me to approach her and park wherever I chose, which provided a memorable time to observe and photograph the ever-more endearing hawk.
Unlike before when she was an active on-the-wing hunter, she was perch bound that afternoon, and twice she dove into high grass between us from her 8-foot-high perch. It seemed the first attempt failed, but the second was successful. The portrait photos I took of this memorable bird as she perched with her back toward me, then facing me, filled in the photo gaps of the images I took of her hunting on the wing December 4th, and I share a couple with you here. (You can refer to the best flight photos in the Bird Photography article at the end of the December 9th issue of The Birding Wire.)
The next day, Sunday the 27th, I crossed my fingers as I hoped to find the chocolate hawk nearby, and was almost surprised to easily see her hunting on the wing near the location I left her the previous afternoon. I monitored her hunting range for 45 minutes, during which she flew and hovered over Melody’s frozen marsh and the adjoining prairie area, pushing more than a mile to the east at one time, and making 3 dives at supposed prey – 2 possibly successful. The hawk disappeared, but before sunset I checked the area again, and found the chocolate girl standing on the ground, possibly her early roost site, only about ¼ mile south of my office.
The morning of the 28th, I checked the immediate area for birds, and was happy to re-find the first-year Ferruginous Hawk perched on a high snag 4 miles north of home – a mile north of where I originally sighted the bird 4 days earlier. The following day was a pretty serious snowstorm – some would call it a blizzard, but we’ll stick with a serious snowstorm – and during the afternoon of the 30th, I sighted the young Ferrug standing on the ground behind some tall weeds that presumably offered a bit of a windbreak from the strong northwest gusts.
Snowy Owl Strike
The holiday period definitely produced a wealth of trusting birds! And it all started out with the most trusting Snowy Owl that I’ve approached in recent years. This beautiful Snowy, which may have been an adult female judging from her markings, was perched atop a lone spruce tree on a prominent prairie hill – quite a lookout site indeed. I was lucky enough to have a pretty easy approach to this enigmatic bird and, eventually, I was as close as I wished to photograph the Arctic owl with frosted spruce boughs to add a nice touch to the setting.
I spent more than a half-hour with the trusting Snowy Owl, hoping for some interesting behavior to document via my camera, and I appreciated the chance to photograph as she preened and eventually ruffled her feathers. Mid-ruffle, her extended body feathers fanned provided a rather unique outline in the process. As I was preparing to leave, the owl gave me reason to believe it saw something of interest to the east as she stretched its neck high, then low, and side to side. Moments later, it took flight and glided 100 yards forward to the edge of a frozen marsh where it appeared to catch prey. I expected it caught a vole or mouse, but when the Snowy Owl carried its prey on a short flight to an open area where it probably felt safer, I was able to take a couple documentary photographs. Later, by studying the photos at a considerable magnification, I was able to discern the Arctic predator caught a muskrat. I didn’t stay for the meal, but when I passed by an hour later, the Snowy was back in position atop the spruce tree, an impressive Christmas ornament indeed.
Feeding Station Highlights
Back at my feeding station, I eagerly awaited the next exciting visits. Things have been pretty static the past 6 weeks or so, with no more Downy Woodpeckers, Pine Siskins, goldfinches, or new species. But I enjoyed periodic visits by male Hairy Woodpeckers and regular forays by Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, along with an influx of House Finches the past month. Then, as the light was waning toward New Year’s Eve, my last visitor of the year was a female Hairy Woodpecker, which was a welcome surprise considering I hadn’t see a female in several weeks.
New Year’s Eve Day
Sunshine provided impetus for an extended year-end drive and my first birds appeared about 26 miles to the northwest – a small flock of Horned Larks. At about mile 33, a large raptor caught my attention, and it looked as though it was likely to be an adult Golden Eagle. I had just explained to my friends Herb and Tim that I had not seen a Golden Eagle in our home range this year, and that I only observed one the year before (2019).
This Golden Eagle, however, was far beyond our local home range, in a remote raptor and Snowy Owl stronghold. As I watched from a distance, the Golden took flight from its lone tree perch and paralleled my drive route, so I accompanied the adult as it flew westward about a mile, then dipped from its hilltop flight into a basin where it was met by a larger adult female – Wow! The pair of Golden Eagles began soaring in a regal tandem, circling several times before the male aimed northward and the female glided onto a large hillside boulder amid a vast Dakota prairie that stretched to the southern horizon.
Many miles to the southwest, 2 Rough-legged Hawks were hunting – one hovering, then diving toward prey, while a second Rough-leg perched on a tall snag on the edge of a frozen lake. South of the Arctic raptors I found a young Northern Shrike, another exciting Arctic visitor. And closer to home, I encountered a feeding flock of about 60 Common Redpolls – more northern arrivals. But there were locals too, south of home I observed 2 flocks of Sharp-tailed Grouse, numbering 8 and 9, probably flying to a late afternoon feeding area. What a great way to end the year, even though I didn’t get any photos – finding this interesting assortment of northern visitors and locals was a great way to end my birding year before I toasted the new year with a fine combination of pino vino and Coronas.
Birding 2021
Starting anew, many birders are initiating a new “year list,” which is a great way to keep track of the seasonal changes and document birds you see throughout the year species by species. My first species beyond my feeders was the young Ferruginous Hawk that I found perched on a high snag 4 miles north. And at my feeder I had a Pine Siskin and another visit by the female Hairy Woodpecker. Sunday morning I was surprised to see a female Downy Woodpecker at my suet feeder, which seemed like a real breakthrough after not seeing a Downy for several weeks, and not seeing a female Downy for a considerably longer period. Welcome young lady; please stop by again – often.
Saturday and Sunday the young Ferruginous Hawk was evident, although the chocolate Rough-leg has disappeared since the 27th – when will she return next? During a Sunday drive, I observed 2 Rough-legs about 70 and 80 miles northeast, including an interesting rufous morph bird that I photographed from a distance as it hunted from a perch and while hovering. Monday’s birds included 2 Bald Eagles perched on neighboring tall snags on the edge of a frozen lake 4 miles north, but a surprise Merlin made my day. Just ½ mile west of my office I spied a small bird perched on a wooden pole, and my first impression was that it might be a Northern Shrike, but as soon as it took flight, the outline of a mini-falcon was obvious as it sped toward the sun.
I tried to re-find the Merlin, and was almost surprised to see it pass in front of me again as I drove back to the office. It was a fine male mini-falcon that was very unexpected, and that added a special element to my day – and that’s what birds do for birders, and all people – that add exclamation points and musical notes to our day, as long as we take notice. I hope you had some enjoyable holiday birding moments, some exciting views, some surprises, and even an unusual or unidentified bird or two. And good luck as you embrace the enjoyment of birds and birding in 2021!
Article and photographs by Paul Konrad
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