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I spotted this hawk from more than 500 feet away when I noticed a flash of light reflecting off this hawk's barreled chest. I happened to look out my window while holding my son, who is sick, as he was sleeping on my shoulder.
After propping up my son in our bed, and tucking him in tight with our quilt, I rushed out to the driveway for a moment to see if I could get a better picture. I was still at least 350 feet away, but enjoyed what I could see of this bird.
Knowing that the hawk could see me a lot better than I could see him, I wasn't surprised to see him take to soaring. The blue sky was a perfect backdrop to watch this magnificent bird fly.
The sun was bright and diving quickly to the west. The sky was a rich, pure blue. The kind of sky that is deep and makes you wonder if the blue is just a 1,000 feet from you, or if it's 10 miles from you. The air was gently stirred by a soft breeze that felt colder than it should have as it carried cool air hovering at snow level across the yard. A couple of squirrels sounded off, warning the others. While a pair of Black Capped Chickadees followed my every move. My moment was just a minute or two, but I would have been happy if it lasted all day.
Later on in the day, looking east, this was the view. The twins love to see the moon and the stars. They point them out every single time. This photo was taken 12 minutes after sunset as the moon was climbing up into the sky.