Part of the swamp I visit is dotted with dead trees, victims of time and probably changing water levels.
Red-shouldered Hawks are among the birds that find them to be good perches with little to obstruct their view.

This fellow was hunting for lunch in the water below.

January 22, 2020
Such a beautiful creature Ellen, and you’ve captured him perfectly
Thank you, TIna! I was fortunate to see quite a few sitting RSHs this winter.
What a beautiful subject! Looks powerful too. Nice work!
Thanks, Sandra! Powerful, yes! I’ve seen them with some amazing catches that you might not expect them to tackle, including a turtle and large snakes.
So they’re NOT vegetarians. 🤣Wow, turtles even?!
Absolutely not! Sure surprised me when I saw it-the turtle was about 4 inches across and those talons were doing their thing 😜