Raptors Gallery I features some of my earliest and most memorable encounters with the birds of prey that inhabit the prairies and wetlands of northern Illinois. Many of these images were captured during the quiet hours of dawn or late afternoon, when the light softens and raptors become most active. From the low, buoyant flight of Northern Harriers to the intense, searching gaze of hunting owls, this collection highlights the raw elegance and instinctive precision of these remarkable birds. Each photograph is a moment of connection—fleeting, wild, and unforgettable—offered here as a window into the living sky above us.