When I was walking yesterday along Cameron Run, a tributary of the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia, I was shocked to spot a hawk perched nearby in a small tree almost at eye level. I was on a paved bike trail that parallels the stream and there is a relatively steep embankment that slopes down to the water’s edge. The tree was located on that embankment.
When the hawk, which I think is a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) eventually flew away and landed atop a building, it screamed out repeatedly at some circling crows. It makes me wonder if the hawk had previously been hiding from harassing crows and that is why it permitted me to get relatively close without initially taking off.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
What great shots! I just think hawks are the most handsome
birds! One visited my deck not long ago. It was squawking because all the little birds flew away when he arrived. Funny the way that worked.
Great opportunity and very nice results. What a piece of good luck!
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Gorgeous photos and how wonderful to have this encounter, Mike. It’s always an honor to be privy to a hawk’s day.