During my birds of prey photography workshop we got to photograph a fantastic Swainson’s Hawk named Grffon. Griffon’s “mom”, Trish, was justifiably proud of the way her bird worked for us. That is the beauty of these controlled photography sessions, we get to put the bird in natural locations with great light and get images that would be quite hard to get any other way. The bighorn sheep skull is a bit of stretch for a natural perch, but these hawks will often hunt grasshoppers from the ground or small logs. So it could happen!

I sent it out as my Halloween card this year!

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If you would like to see more of my hawk images you can do that…HERE.

If you would like to join me on another Birds of Prey Photography Workshop in 2011, you can check that out…HERE.

In case you were curious:

  • Swainson’s Hawks are the long distance champions of the North American hawks, traveling as far south as the Argentina’s Pampas.
  • These hawks vary in length from 19 to 22 inches (48-56cm), and have a wingspan of 47 to 57 inches (119-145cm).
  • Its diet consists of insects, small mammals and birds, and occasional reptiles and amphibians.
  • This hawk is also known as the Grasshopper Hawk, Brown Hawk, and Black Hawk.

My birds of prey photography workshop was held in conjunction with the Peregrine Fund and the World Center for Birds of Prey. They have an amazing story and facility. They are also open for tours, however if you want the kind of photography that you see here, you’ll need to join me for one of my workshops.

Visit their website to learn about how they are saving the world’s raptors one bird at a time…HERE.

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