On a photo drive tonight I spotted something unusual in the road ahead.  I couldn’t believe it at first, but as I rolled nearer I saw it was true: a hawk in the oncoming lane.  He didn’t seem to flustered by the fact that I was there, either.  Usually hawks bolt as soon as my camera draws near, but not this guy.

Yep…determined to stay put.  No matter how close I or my telephoto lens came, this bird was set in place.  It didn’t look injured, sick, or even frightened; however, it was not about to fly away.  Soon passers-by joined me and noted that they’d seen this hawk earlier in their walk.  Clearly something was amiss.

Before long, a resourceful homeowner nearby came up with a solution to help the hawk find its way into the relative safety of the grass of the yard a short distance away. It was able to climb up on this broom, its wings worked to steady itself, and there was no sign of illness. We surmised that it was a young one from a nearby nest that wasn’t sure what to do. With the threat of immediate danger beneath the wheels of passing automobiles abated, it was time for him to pose for some photos. I was more than happy to oblige.

What a handsome specimen! After years of watching in vain as potential photo subjects took flight before my camera was ready, this was a welcome change.

After a long time of photographing my willing subject from various angles while lying on my stomach in the grass, I figured it was time to give him some space and venture on down the road for a chance at photographing the approaching sunset. Hopefully the hawk eventually decided to move on to safety, even if under some of the trees in the yard. I’m thankful that we got to spend some time together, and hopefully he’s in fine shape and fleeing from my camera in the future!