The Cornell Lab of Anthology describes the Red-Shouldered Hawk as "a common forest-dwelling hawk [that] favors woodlands near water." Guess where I found this one — roosting in lake-edge trees in Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. I'd spent half the day in the preserve photographing two hawks, and this was part of the last set of images I made. It was as if this hawk wanted to be in the winning frame, perching itself in perfect late-day light amidst a pleasantly tangled tree-branch background.
