Freedom: Broad-winged Hawk

The hawkwatch event on Sunday at New Hampshire Audubon's Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory attracted quite a number of folks, from young to old, who came to see a release into the wild of some rehabilitated hawks. The new president of New Hampshire Audubon, Rick Minard, welcomed the enthusiastic crowd. One of the birds to be released was this Broad-winged Hawk. Julie, the site's official counter, held up the bird, as a hushed crowd watched. She pivoted, then released her grip and this young raptor, raised from a nestling by a skilled bird rehabilitator, experienced its destiny — to live free and wild.

All photos © Lillian Stokes, 2006