light morph rough-legged hawk

I woke this morning with anticipation , remembering that this day we planned on searching for a Northern Hawk owl that had been seen recently in the Sheffield area. Other years we have often driven to this area along highway #105 which was once the old trans-Canada highway that follows the Saint John River through the riverside communities of Maugerville and Sheffield. I hadn't done much birding recently in this area, although it is a favourite place to visit in the spring looking for migrating duks stopping off along the route somewhere. in the past we have often sighted hawks there; Red-tailed hawks, Northern harriers and Rough-legged hawks, often during the winter months. Our goal today was to see an infrequent visitor to this area, a Northern Hawk Owl, and although we didn't find it. we did find a light phase Rough-legged Hawk. On our return home, having accepted that we just were't going to have any luck today, I spied a hawk in a tree as seen in the first photo above, near the top of what seemed like an apple tree to me., with reaching wide stretched brances in appearance. To get a better photo I stepped out onto the highway shoulder to better aim my telescopic lens. I still have trouble raising it(my camera) and focusing adequately as my left shoulder does not function all that too well as yet. The hawk saw me standing there and was alerted to the possible danger I might pose and so it raised its wings and took off in flight., I really didn't mind as my camera had finally focused onto it,I just kept clicking, and I liked the results in the photo I was able to get as can be seen in the second to the top photo.. We also saw a few small flocks of Snow Buntings, but they were very elusive and I couln't get any photos of them, althouh they were a beautiful sight in a whirlwind sort of white flight whirling above the highway and the adjacent fields. Oh well, another day maybe I'll be able to share Snow Bunting pictures.