We were birding in an area known as La Mesa during the morning of December 24, 2009. Late in the morning, the sky cleared, and temperatures rose to the mid-80's. We were walking along a country road when we began to encounter foothill birds not found in the forests below or in the Canal Zone. This Short-tailed Hawk (Dark Phase) was one of the birds we photographed. This species feeds on small or mid-sized birds.