Kip’s Comments - April 9, 2026 — LadagePhotography.com

Beauty After Death

A concerned gentleman found a red-tailed hawk face-down in his yard. Not knowing what to do, he called a conservation-oriented fellow (a friend of mine) who reached out to me. We wanted the best for the hawk, whatever the “best” might be. Life beyond minutes did not appear likely as the hawk had no “fight” in it.

Soon I had the hawk in my carrier with plans to deliver the bird to a wildlife rehabilitator, pending survival. The rehab process never passed the discussion with the rehabilitator status. As expected, the hawk expired soon after I assumed responsibility.

This was a case of death being a better option than a life when the bird was too weak to hold its head, to stand, to move in anyway. In this situation, the natural death was a process of mercy. I seldom wish for death, but sometimes it is the better option.

Following the death of this red-tailed hawk - a common bird species that we take for granted and seldom explore with curious eyes at close range - I did just that. I studied this fine bird at the macro level. My lens captured the color variations, the textures, the fine details of that made this bird what it was - a work of art!

Hopefully you too will find a view of this red-tailed hawk that, even after death, remains beautiful.