Red-Shouldered Hawk

The pair of RSH's returned to my backyard to nest! Here I was a second too slow in getting the camera out to catch them mating on the branch of this old sweet gum tree. You can see the pine needles of the tree where the nest is built in the background. I don't know if they had a failed attempt at mating earlier, or if their season was just delayed because of the cold temperatures we had in the first months of the year, but this sighting was a month later than when I caught them "at it" last year.