Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk at Abbott Marshlands
<p><strong>Sunday 12 January 2025</strong></p>
<p>On a crisp cold morning I returned to exploring the Roebling Park Trail at the Abbott Marshlands in John A. Roebling Memorial Park, Hamilton. The marsh was alive with activity, and I was engrossed in photographing Mallards, Gadwalls, Canada Geese, and American Black Ducks as they paddled through the freezing water. Their movements and vibrant plumage filled my viewfinder and my morning with excitement.</p>
<figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123455" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_123455" style="width: 1200px"><img alt="A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk perched on a branch, preening its feathers against a bright blue sky at the Abbott Marshlands in Hamilton, New Jersey." class="size-full wp-image-123455" decoding="async" height="1800" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" src="https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1902-Enhanced-RD.jpg" srcset="https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1902-Enhanced-RD.jpg 1200w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1902-Enhanced-RD-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1902-Enhanced-RD-256x384.jpg 256w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1902-Enhanced-RD-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1902-Enhanced-RD-300x450.jpg 300w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1902-Enhanced-RD-850x1275.jpg 850w" width="1200"/><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-123455">Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) · 12 January 2025 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR</figcaption></figure>
<p>I was about to pack up and leave, content with the set of photographs I had captured, when something compelled me to look up. At first, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was seeing among the network of leafless branches against the clear blue sky. But as I raised my Fuji X-T3 to my eye and focused the Fujinon XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR through the viewfinder, my excitement grew—a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) was perched just above me!</p>
<figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123456" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_123456" style="width: 1200px"><img alt="Close-up of a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk gazing intensely from its perch, surrounded by leafless branches." class="size-full wp-image-123456" decoding="async" height="1800" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" src="https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1903-Enhanced-RD.jpg" srcset="https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1903-Enhanced-RD.jpg 1200w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1903-Enhanced-RD-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1903-Enhanced-RD-256x384.jpg 256w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1903-Enhanced-RD-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1903-Enhanced-RD-300x450.jpg 300w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1903-Enhanced-RD-850x1275.jpg 850w" width="1200"/><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-123456">Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) · 12 January 2025 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR</figcaption></figure>
<p>I’ve always admired birds of prey from afar, but this was my first close encounter, and I believe it is my first-ever hawk photograph. The juvenile hawk sat on its perch, preening its feathers and surveying the world below. Its feathers were a mix of soft browns and creamy whites, with streaks that hinted at its youth. The piercing intensity of its gaze was mesmerizing, even as it occasionally glanced down at me, seemingly unbothered by my presence.</p>
<figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123457" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_123457" style="width: 1200px"><img alt="A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk perched serenely, its soft brown and cream-colored feathers vividly highlighted against a vibrant blue sky." class="size-full wp-image-123457" decoding="async" height="1800" loading="lazy" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" src="https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1917-Enhanced-RD.jpg" srcset="https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1917-Enhanced-RD.jpg 1200w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1917-Enhanced-RD-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1917-Enhanced-RD-256x384.jpg 256w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1917-Enhanced-RD-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1917-Enhanced-RD-300x450.jpg 300w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1917-Enhanced-RD-850x1275.jpg 850w" width="1200"/><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-123457">Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) · 12 January 2025 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR</figcaption></figure>
<p>I quickly adjusted my camera settings and began capturing the hawk from various angles, making use of the branches as natural framing. The vibrant blue sky served as the backdrop, emphasizing the hawk’s intricate plumage and regal posture. Watching it through the lens, I felt a sense of gratitude for this unexpected sighting.</p>
<p>An experienced birder I met as I returned to my car mentioned that adult Red-tailed Hawks are generally more cautious and less tolerant of humans getting too close. Juveniles, on the other hand, tend to be more curious and less wary as they’re still learning about their surroundings and potential threats. This insight made me appreciate the sighting even more, knowing that this hawk’s youthful curiosity likely allowed me to capture these shots.</p>
<figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123459" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_123459" style="width: 1200px"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-123459" decoding="async" height="1800" loading="lazy" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" src="https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1932-Enhanced-RD.jpg" srcset="https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1932-Enhanced-RD.jpg 1200w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1932-Enhanced-RD-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1932-Enhanced-RD-256x384.jpg 256w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1932-Enhanced-RD-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1932-Enhanced-RD-300x450.jpg 300w, https://islandinthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/X-T3_XF150-600mmF5.6-8-R-LM-OIS-WR_20250112__DSF1932-Enhanced-RD-850x1275.jpg 850w" width="1200"/><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-123459">Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) · 12 January 2025 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Abbott Marshlands had given me so much that morning—the quiet of the marsh, the lively waterfowl, and the chance, despite the cold, to slow down and connect with nature. But this hawk sighting was a gift I hadn’t even thought to hope for. It also reminded me of the importance of always taking a moment to look up!</p>
<p>Have you ever had a chance encounter with wildlife that left you in awe?</p>
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