Mike in the Wild

On a walk in Granada Park one day, I noticed a row of birds - maybe pigeons - quietly perched on a power line.  At the end of the line, atop a utility pole, there appeared to be a street light shade. On closer inspection through my camera's zoom lens, it turned out not to be a shade but a bird.  My first novice thought was it's a golden eagle!   It didn't seem to mind that I approached.  In fact, it seemed oblivious, scratching its cheek on the edge of its perch once or twice.   I prepared to photograph a hunt - those pigeons were still lined up nearby.   Instead, quite suddenly, another bird flew up from no where, mounting the first bird and creating the impression of a totem pole. For the next couple moments, the top bird re-positioned itself, while the bottom bird remained mostly still. After just half a minute, the top bird hopped off and flew away. I quickly focused the camera on the departing bird, capturing a few shots....