I found a sentinel this morning. I was taking in the sights of a beautiful morning on the way to work today. A hawk was perched, silent and still in a tree top.

I pulled over to the side of the road with the hope of capturing an action shot. It tipped its head in one direction and then the other. It leaned forward, looking down. I'm sure there was something in the grass below that caught its attention.

The hawk unfurled its wings and balanced on the end of a small branch. I thought it would dive but whatever was below must have escaped because the hawk returned to its sentinel post without breakfast.

I've seen many hawks along the roadside but have never had the opportunity to see one as close as this. What a treat to have spent a few moments watching this beautiful bird.