Red-shouldered Hawk Shines on Sign!

A relaxing walk in the park can produce some nice surprises and excitement, especially when I have my camera and am looking for birds to photograph. 

Such was the case last weekend during a stroll around the old Kings Grant Golf Course.

From a distance, I spotted a large bird perched on a Do Not Enter sign. I quickly surmised it to be a Hawk, a red-shouldered one. 

I took some pictures from behind like the one above, then slowly moved in the shade of a tree to see the bird’s face. I’m sure it saw me. These raptors don’t miss much I am sure.

The Hawk proved a good model! It let me take all the photos I wanted and didn’t fly away until I walked away. 

We saw a second Red-shouldered fly to a nearby tree. I wasn’t able to photograph that one but am very pleased with the ones I took of this beauty. 

Memorable Memorial Day Birds in Virginia

Alesia and I drove up to Virginia to visit with family during the Memorial Day weekend.  We enjoyed our time with my parents at their beautiful house on the Chesapeake Bay, with Alesia's cousins and family who were also in the area, and with her brother who lives near Richmond.

This will be the first of what may be several themed blog posts. I took more than 600 photographs during the several days we spent in Virginia.  The trip culminated in our two day trek along "Lee's Retreat" from Petersburg to Appomattox.  So look for that post in the days or weeks ahead.

My first post, surprise, will focus on birds I photographed up there. But let's start with this critter encounter: a fox seen in my parents neighborhood, which is near Wicomico Church, Va.

What a surprise to see this beautiful, healthy looking fox in daylight.

Glad I had my camera with me!