I often mention I always take my Canon Sx-70 Super Zoom Bridge Camera on my almost daily bicycle rides. Yesterday was no exception, and while on over 95% of my rides I never see anything that warrants interrupting my exercise, yesterday was the exception (read more about my bicycle birding setup). In fact about the only time I do not have a camera with me is while I am cross-country skiing (unless wearing a GoPro). Normally while skiing hard I definitely do NOT want to be encumbered with any backpacks or hip bags. A super zoom camera makes for an excellent choice for bringing equipment along. If not in a car, the light weight and small size is a great advantage; yet one still has reach given the zoom lens.

Anyhow back to yesterday’s ride … it was late afternoon with perfect light when as I approached the end of my route I noticed a Red-Shouldered Hawk looking for dinner. The raptor was amazingly docile in terms of letting me watch its hunt. In the first set of images, I had noticed the pine tree in the background with blue sky gaps … the perfect backdrop for my photos. Enjoy.

I normally do not like to take photographs of birds on power lines, but these conditions demonstrated there are no hard and fast rules. More Red-Shouldered Hawk.