Red Tail Hawk in flight. Photographed as the bird flew in to warm late afternoon sun in Lassen County, California, USA.


While out for a drive in the Willow Creek Valley in Lassen County, California, USA I spotted this red tailed hawk gliding across a rancher’s field. It was very late on a January day and the sun was minutes from disappearing below the ridgeline to camera-right and in front of the wonderful bird. This made for some glorious warm light on the bird’s face as it soared in front of the clear blue northern California sky and almost made its feathers glisten a bit.


Size: 6647px × 4433px
Location: Lassen County California USA
Photo credit: © Mike Lee / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: aerial, airborne, american, avian, awesome, beautiful, bird, blue, california, carnivorous, county, creature, easy, elevated, ethereal, feathers, flight, flying, freedom, glorious, glowing, graceful, grandiose, hawk, hunter, hunting, idyllic, imperial, intense, lassen, magnificent, majestic, orange, outdoors, peaceful, predator, prey, raptor, red, regal, sky, smooth, soaring, tail, umber, usa, western, wild, wildlife, wings, zen, zen-