Finally, after 3 years!

 I have been trying to get pictures of this pair of Red shouldered hawks for three years now. I have watched these two build a nest and raise their young,...today was my lucky day.

then one came down onto the ground, I think he/she was trying to catch the little white crowned sparrows that were feeding on the ground below the tree.

What a treat!

here is some information on the red shouldered hawk,

Voice: Shrill scream, kee-yeeear, with a downward inflection.
Habitat: Deciduous woodlands, especially where there is standing water.
Range: Breeds from Minnesota east to New Brunswick and south to Gulf Coast and Florida, and on Pacific Coast in California. Winters in breeding range north to southern New England.
Discussion: The Red-shouldered Hawk prefers lowlands, especially swampy woods and bogs. There it hunts by watching quietly from a low perch, dropping down to capture snakes and frogs. It also eats insects and small mammals. Normally shy, these birds become tame if they are not persecuted and in some places may nest in suburban areas. During courtship a pair can be quite noisy, wheeling in the sky above their nesting territory and uttering their distinctive whistled scream.
Nesting: 2 or 3 white eggs, spotted with brown, in a large mass of leaves and twigs placed 20-60' (6-18 m) up in a forest tree.

I am using Audubon Birds California.