Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR Hawks: December 2015

After missing my planned sunrise shot due to my own boneheadedness, my New Year's Eve Eve Day (that's Dec. 30) had gotten much better. First the unexpected bald eagle sighting in TrailMark, then some time with the bighorn sheep in Waterton Canyon. My "photo finish," if you will, was to spend the afternoon at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.

Bison and raptors topped my wish list of subjects.  The bison eluded me yet again; I've yet to get a great shot of one after six visits to the refuge.  But I had better luck with the raptors, beginning with what I believe is a light morph red-tailed hawk on the north leg of the wildlife drive.

I was able to sit and watch him pretty patiently, but didn't get the takeoff photo I was hoping for as he moved from tree to tree.  Still, this shot is better than a stick in the eye.  Oh, wait -- that's exactly what it is.  A STICK IN THE EYE.  Too bad about that branch, because I otherwise love the stare.

I watched this adult red-tailed hawk have a successful hunt for a mid-afternoon snack, then bring it right back to a tree near where I was parked.  It was easy enough to maneuver my car into perfect position, then clamber halfway out the window to record his meal.

So I possibly should have warned before this shot that the images do get a little graphic.  Hawks are not dainty eaters.

He didn't waste much of what he caught.  I watched intestines and even pelt go down the gullet.

When finished, he appeared to wipe his beak clean on a branch and prepare to take a little siesta.  With the show over, I drove on.

More to come!