Independent utility

On just about any clear, warm day, between 11am and 1pm, the thermals and updrafts start to peak, thus turning the patio on the side of my house into a hawk watching platform. These shots not only demonstrate that, but also prove I can photograph a bird on the wing, with not a single utility pole or power line in sight.



Above: turkey vulture (Cathartes aura Linn.)
Below: yet another red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis Gmelin)