Up In The Air

One of the things I wanted to see in California was wildlife, but I really didn't hold out much hope for getting anything too spectacular. But guess what? I got real lucky one afternoon near The Cliff House and the ruins of the old Sutro Baths. I heard a familiar cry, and spotted a red-shouldered hawk soaring above me. Not that big of a deal in Florida, but being in a different spot, I paid attention. He was riding the constant wind off the Pacific, spinning in circles searching for prey. And he was often less than ten feet from the ground. This grabbed my attention quickly! I was also surprised when I spotted two more hawks doing the same thing. I must have shot a thousand pictures of these guys doing their aerobatics, but the one above is perhaps the most impressive. Two of them, I'm assuming it was a mating pair, started cutting up in mid-air, flying into each other, just goofing around. It was incredible to watch. I promise to post more pictures of these beautiful animals, but I wanted to get this one up before I forgot how spectacular it was to watch these animals in action. It was so awesome to watch them that I called my hosts on the phone and begged off from dinner. I couldn't tear myself away!