By early April, it is getting too warm for rough-legged hawks on the High Plains of the U.S. and they begin moving back to their Arctic breeding grounds. There they will nest on rocky outcrops and feast primarily on lemmings as they raise their young.
In their absence, Swainson's hawks take charge on the High Plains, arriving from Argentina where they spent the winter. Usually nesting in a solitary cottonwood tree, struggling to survive along a dry stream bed, these raptors prefer open country where their diet ranges from rodents to snakes to insects. They will occupy the High Plains until early October, when the promise of a perpetual summer draws them back to Argentina, often traveling in large flocks.
Today, I observed several Swainson's hawks on our journey across the High Plains of Colorado and Kansas. We'll spend the night in Hays and complete our roadtrip to Missouri tomorrow. Details, if warranted, to follow.
