As part of the Fall 2011 Photographers’ Field Day at the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA, I participated in the Raptor Photo Shoot. The birds were the ones that had been injured or cannot be released safely into the wild, so they’re now under the care of The Raptor Conservancy of Virginia and serve as ambassadors for education programs. Since the organization is funded solely through private donations, one way they raise funds is through photo shoots like this one where photographers can come and take close up photos of these magnificent birds that otherwise are difficult to find and photograph.