Rough-legged Hawk- Buteo lagopus. Watercolor on paper

I absolutely love the look of hawks on the wing. Painting them, as I have stated in the past, is a challenge. With the time I spent in the field this winter photographing raptors, I started to gain an idea for my favorite poses of the birds in the air. This winter was a Rough-legged to say the least. I felt blessed, as I had multiple opportunities to watch these arctic breeders vacation in our warm fields. As I have said in past posts, the majority of the birds I saw this winter were juveniles. The plumage of the juvenile is beautiful, full of creams, brown, black and white. In an attempt to pay homage to the scene of the bird in flight, I painted a head on view of Buteo lagopus, the Rough-legged Hawk. If you prefer the style of my past few posts, no need to worry, plans for a portrait are brewing in my bird infested brain.