My Birthday Gift~

Well...today is my birthday and this time last year I got some pretty amazing images of a Red-tailed Hawk, which was taken one day before my actual birthday, which is exactly what happened this year.  I had gone shopping for final Christmas gifts and I knew of a pair of Red-Shouldered Hawks that frequented an area near the shopping area. It was a very gray morning and there was an ice coating on the trees.  I was about to give up when I spotted this beauty hunting from a tree between to office buildings.  What good fortune, blessing, birthday gift, all wrapped up in this sweet package.  This will be my first in a series taken of this beauty.  Rather than saving the best for last, I am sharing my favorites from the way too many that I was able to capture~