Steel Feather, Still Sky

Charlie and I just got back from our Monday morning walk. Along the way, I spotted a bird off in the distance and snapped a photo—not knowing at the time what kind of bird it was. I’ve included the original image to show how far away it was. For reference, I was using a 560mm lens, which offers about 11× magnification.

Using digital tools, I cropped and zoomed in to get a clearer view. The second image gives a much better look at the bird itself—a Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis), a striking and elegant bird of prey.

Check out breathtaking photos of magnificent birds of prey, visit my photo gallery here:

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com/

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"A Mississippi Kite perches gracefully on a slender, bare branch, captured in striking close-up against a softly hued sky. The bird’s smooth, silvery-gray plumage gives it a sleek, sculpted appearance—like brushed steel warmed by feathers. Its chest is pale and clean, blending into a darker gray along its wings and tail, which are tucked neatly like origami folded in stillness. The kite’s head is turned slightly, revealing a sharply hooked beak and a powerful eye: pale, alert, and scanning with a quiet intensity. It looks focused and composed, the embodiment of a predator at rest—but never off-duty. Small pinecones hang nearby on the branch, offering a sense of scale and season, and a hint of wild fragrance to the imagination. Behind the bird, the sky stretches in soft shades of blue and gray, creating a gentle contrast that makes the kite feel both part of the landscape and apart from it—elevated, enigmatic, untouchable. A subtle credit at the bottom reads "Swede's Photographs", grounding the image in the eyes of the one who saw and paused to catch this moment." - Copilot