Ready for takeoff

On July 18, Niwot resident David A. Bruce captured this photo of a juvenile red tailed hawk as it prepared for flight. Bruce and his family have counted the hawk's parents among its neighbors for the past three years.

"This year they had three babies, as they did last year too," Bruce said in an email " We have wonderful wildlife here and have no idea how lucky we are to see these creatures in our backyards. This hawk is four months old and just learning to live on its own."