A Red-tailed Hawk enjoys its evening snack in the quiet of an old oak tree. The 3rd image shows this beautiful juvenile using its talon to pull the tough, final remnants apart.

LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve was showing off its fall splendor last week. The leaves rustled as you walked the trails, and the smells of autumn filled the senses. Swipe to see the individual frames of the panorama.

A couple of mute swans pass each other during a leisurely afternoon paddle on a lake. These swans were migrating and had decided to rest and feed for a spell before heading south. Although not native to North America, they are still easy on the eye.

Exploring the area a little further from its nest, this 4-month old juvenile eagle had flown back to a tree to the west. It was evening, the sun was about right, and it gave me a chance to capture it as it took off and flew into the evening sun. Their feathers at this age are just pure and beautiful. Taken during last year's nesting season, and pray that it made a successful journey to adulthood.

Just in case you've ever wondered what this bird would look like if it were up above you on a tree limb and decided to look down at you, here you go! A cormorant looks down as if to say, "Do I know you?"

How about a bluebird to brighten up the day! There's just something about bluebirds that put a smile on my face, especially after multiple days of gray skies and rain. This male Eastern Bluebird will do the trick, from early October at Skokie Lagoons.

"Listen, here's what we do. Just be still, don't move, there's not a chance in the world anyone can see us in here. Then when it's clear, deuces out!"

Knowing that the vibrant sunsets from the heat, haze and smoke would soon be over as we got into late September, I'd scouted out a new spot that would allow not only for an image of the sun, but also a reflection of the sun onto a lake . . .

A juvenile Northern Harrier flies over the open grasses looking for its next meal. The dark chocolate eyes says it's a female; juvenile males have pale greenish-yellow eyes. By the time of adulthood, the eye color of both sexes gradually change to lemon yellow. It was fascinating to watch this hawk . . .

Not many Black Swallowtails graced us with their presence this summer, so it was a real treat to capture this male as it spent a little time gathering some nectar on its journey to somewhere.