Recently I made a trip back to Mosul, Iraq. I had worked there for awhile and enjoyed the countryside view from where I worked. The base offered areas of open ground complete with grass, flowers, brush and trees, a natural attraction for birds among other critters. The area offered a great place to run with roads rolling through the hills. The surrounding snow covered mountains, the flowing Tigris River nearby and our flower gardens were all a visual distraction from the unavoidable events that were occurring on a daily basis. I was able to photographically document several varieties of birds. There were several kestrels in the area, flying, hovering and standing watch on the weathered electric poles. I've always enjoyed watching raptors soaring gracefully above, their keen eye searching for the ground for their next meal. The sight was always a sign of freedom to me. Hopefully the sight of freedom is close at hand for all.
