In The Company of Swainson's Hawks

Does it seem weird to have about 400 hawks in front of you at once?! Something spectacular that I recently saw while birding was a huge "kettle" of migrating Swainson's Hawks. While driving in Pinal County recently, I noticed these raptors gathering over fields that were being plowed. The plowing actions result in making it easier for these hawks to get their desired prey, which in the Swainson's Hawk's case, it would be insects such as grasshoppers. These amazing raptors can migrate up to 14,000 miles one way, in both spring and fall. The migration journey can last up to two months! Northerly breeding range goes north to Alaska, and southerly migration routes extend south to southern Brazil or Argentina. While Swainson's Hawks are most often solitary on breeding grounds, they form huge flocks or "kettles" on the migration journey. This hawk has three different color morphs, making it a variable bird in it's appearance. I've enjoyed this event live in the field a few times prior to this time, but this time was the best out of them all!  Here is a set of the photographs I took, which took place earlier in September.