Last week I had an early morning doctors appointment before work, so I was up before dawn to get my chores done. I was leaving the house just about dawn and when I rounded a corner on my road I saw this beautiful swallowtailed kite (Elanoides forficatus) perched at the top of a snag. There is a pair of them that nest in the area and it’s not at all unusual to see them soaring, but it’s rare to see them perched. There was one perched on a different snag along that same road about four years ago, and I stopped to get photos then, too. Back then, though, I was shooting on my iPhone (which I do still use in certain circumstances) with an inexpensive detachable telephoto lens. The photos didn’t come out very well (although I was able to use one as a reference for a drawing), and I’ve always regretted that. Therefore, I was really excited when I suddenly got this opportunity with better equipment (and better skills). The bird was very cooperative and he allowed me to get quite a few shots from several angles. The whole interaction was probably no longer than five minutes, but it made my whole day!