My husband spotted this beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk enjoying the waning moments of sunlight at the Refuge the other night.
The Hawk seemed quite undisturbed by our presence as he gazed down at us from his perch.
We enjoyed every moment, as the setting sun continued to cast that wonderful golden glow. 
Before long, the sun was too low to light up the hawk – so we just turned around and admired the sunset behind us!
Birder's Journey 
Beautiful captures of a magnificent raptor. These birds are so stately in their appearance and facial expressions. It gives a lovely warm vista capturing birds in the sun-setting light. Have a wonderful Christmas and New year.
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Yes, AB. It can be just beautiful at that time of day. My husband kept remarking how wonderful the light was….. All we needed was to see a bird. Then he spied the hawk!
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What a beautiful post. And that’s exactly how I remember it happening.
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You’re a great spotter, Berny!! Would have been a shame to have missed this – I might have walked right by!
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Beautiful post. The red-shouldered hawk is uncommon in these parts – haven’t had a positive ID on one in years. Glad you shared these golden hour gems!
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Thanks for your kind visit and comments! We’re fortunate to see lots of Red-shouldered Hawks here. It’s always a treat to encounter some of our other raptors – we really live in a heavenly place for birding!
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Beautiful, golden captures!
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Golden is just the right word, thanks! Beautiful setting on a warm December evening in southeast Florida ☀️
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Great shots Carol! Happy Holidays! 🙂 ❤
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Happy holidays to you, too, HJ. Thank you for your visit!
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That late-in-the-day light is immediately apparent on the hawk.
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Yes, it was such a wonderful glow ….. Just the perfect spot for those few moments.
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On our trip I had several experiences where the late light lit things up for just a few minutes and then quickly faded.
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Beauty in all directions!
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Can’t wait till you’re here to share it with us next!!
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Perfect lighting and such a beautiful setting for a gorgeous bird. Lovely.
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It was a delight, thanks, Pam!
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Gorgeous!
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Thank you!!
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Such a gift it is to be surrounded by beauty — thank you for sharing it all with us here, BJ. Here in northern Calif. we often see the red-shouldered hawk perched on the horizontal electrical wires lining the roads and highways – so what a pleasure it is to see one perched here in this exotic and tropical tree. Lovely photos BJ~~
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These Cypress trees are very common here and we often see Red-shouldered Hawks in them – out in the open, or camouflaged among the branches. It’s a great thrill when a hawk suddenly flies out with a whoosh from a hidden spot, and soars right past!
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That is a bird I never get to see even though we have them up here. Beautiful images of them. They look wonderful in that tree.
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Thanks, Donna. The lighting was just wonderful that evening.
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