On a bright fall day, my friend and I arrived at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum, parked the car, and began discussing what we might photograph.

At that very moment, this lovely bird of prey landed on a low-hanging branch no more than 25 feet away. He stayed there, posing calmly, for about two minutes. He turned slowly, flashing a silver ankle bracelet, indicating that our friend is part of a research study. Or is he on a court-ordered work-release program?

He glanced one last time at me over his wing before flying away. I was first told that this was a Cooper’s hawk. However, a more reliable ornithological expert later informed me that this is a red tail hawk. Regardless of the species, I’m grateful for the encounter.