Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Since the trees lost their leaves, the grass turned brown and there are no more butterflies, you tend to notice other things. I didn’t really notice hawks until recently. I’d seen them around but hadn’t noticed them on the power lines on my commute home until recently. I’d started to see this one frequently on power lines on the same section of road. When I first tried to stop and take photos he flew off. Gradually he became used to my stopping and has let me get closer. This is about as close as I can get – across the road and almost level with him. He looks a little ruffled and so he should. The temperature was in the low 30s F and the wind was measured at about 17 mph with gusts up to 27 mph this afternoon. I don’t think the hunting was good; I doubt many rodents were out and about. Sometimes being ‘free as a bird’ isn't all it’s cracked up to be.