Photo of the Month: May 2012

Taking the prize for May 2012's Photo of the Month is this image of a Cooper's Hawk. Photographer Lance Atkins has dubbed it “Dove Patrol." Lance gives us a bit of background on the photo: "Our typical backyard population of two to four doves had swelled to a dozen or more when this Cooper's Hawk started using our back yard as his hunting grounds. By the time the feathers cleared and the population was back down to the fastest and most attentive two to four doves, this hawk was comfortable enough to land seven feet high in our young maple tree located only 35 feet from our back patio doors. I was finally able to quietly setup the camera and catch a few photos of this majestic bird shortly before he left our home that morning for other, easier hunting grounds."