The other evening with the last light of the day shining through the shadows, a Cooper's Hawk (perhaps a juvenile?) flew in and perched in a pear tree not far from where I was enjoying the birds and looking for a final capture of the day . . .

A Rough-legged Hawk comes up empty-taloned after a dive into the prairie and wings its way back up into the sky.

Rough-legged Hawk banks to the west after kiting over the prairie in the cold, blustery winter winds. The 2nd image (pano) illustrates well how this hawk acquired its moniker. The name "Rough-legged" refers to the feathered legs . . .

Face to face with a Northern Harrier after a dive into the Illinois prairie to grab a vole before the Short-eared Owls snag them all.

A Red-tailed Hawk in flight with the breezy spring winds over the Illinois prairie.

A Cooper's Hawk in flight towards the evening sun . . .