Red-Tailed Hawk 12-30-2013
Looking out into our backyard on a cold December afternoon, I noticed this red-tailed hawk surveying the property from high up in a bare, dead tree. Moving quietly onto the back deck with my telephoto lens, I took my time finding an open window through the tangled branches without startling the bird.
The raptor sits perched alertly in three-quarter profile, showing off intricate mottled brown and cream plumage across its chest and folded wings. A crisp, deep blue winter sky serves as a clean backdrop, accentuating the hawk’s sharp yellow talons, hooked beak, and watchful predator gaze as it scans the yard below.
