267 Days until the US Open at Chambers Bay

I have been walking Chambers Creek Properties for years. I have been carrying a camera since 2009. With the US Open coming to the Chambers Bay Golf Course, which is part of the property, I have decided to share a picture each day for the 365 days leading up to the tournament. The US Open is scheduled to begin on June 18, 2015. As of today, we are 267 days away. For a more complete collection of my local photos, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/maritimeorca/tags/chamberscreekproperties/

Today's Picture:

Taken on September 24, 2010

I am still not comfortable when it comes to the differences between Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks. I usually label these birds simply as Hawks. Despite that, I'm pretty sure that this one is a Cooper's Hawk. I'm also fairly confident that I have seen both species. This was probably the most interesting Hawk I have ever encountered. There was someone on the beach pointing it out. He mentioned that the Hawk had actually landed on his head. While I missed that scene, I managed to approach abnormally close. This shot was taken before I bought my 500mm lens. Instead, it was taken at just 250mm. It has not been cropped.