The lush gardens at the Baha’i House of Worship in Wilmette, Ill. are home to many creatures – chipmunks, rabbits, even deer. Last year at this time the delegates to the Baha’i National Convention were thrilled to look up and see a new addition to the fauna. A red tailed hawk was seen circling the dome of the House of Worship on the last day of deliberations and some delegates considered it a special blessing.

Wildlife photographer Jerry Goldner

In the past year that hawk found a mate and, according to local wildlife photographer, Jerry Goldner, the pair often perch atop the Temple’s dome to watch the sunset together. 

Goldner’s interest in nature photography began 7 years ago, while he was taking pictures for a friend’s real estate website. “I started photographing birds at the Skokie Lagoons and experienced my first great white egret in breeding plumage,” said Goldner. “My love for wildlife photography, especially birds, continued to grow from that day.”

His camera equipment grew as well. Goldner now uses a Canon 600 mm lens. On March 14th he was at Wilmette Harbor, about 200 yards away from the Baha’i House of Worship, taking photos of migrating mute swans and goldeneye ducks when he noticed the pair of hawks at the Temple. Using his 600 mm lens, Goldner took the following photo and posted it, along with other beautiful shots he took the following days, on his website: www.profilesofnature.com/bahaitemplehawks.html

The pair of hawks often perch atop the
Temple's dome to watch the sunset together.

Goldner’s photos of the hawks worshiping at the Baha’i Temple” caught the eye of some Baha’is who started sharing them on blogs, Facebook and Twitter. “Jerry has a great talent for photography,” said Ellen Price, a Baha’i from Wilmette who shared his photos widely with her Baha’i friends online, “and he seems to have a special connection with the animals he’s photographing.”

Goldner was spotted photographing nesting peregrine falcons behind the Uptown Theater by the editor of Chicago Wilderness Magazine. That kismet led to being published in seven quarterly issues, being invited to The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum for the “Birds Of Chicago” and “Micole Bird Walk” Permanents Exhibits, and a regular contributor to the Chicago Park District’s Urban Naturalist Newsletter.  

Goldner’s falcon image recently won a spot in the 1st Annual "Nature In Chicago" Photo Exhibition. Following is a link on his daily Flickr blog to the image that won in the “Native Fauna" category of the traveling summer exhibition: www.flickr.com/photos/profilesofnature/4501568874/.   

You can contact Jerry Goldner at: jg@profilesofnature.com.

Goldner likes to share the following philosophy: "Joseph Campbell said it best 'Follow Your Bliss.'" Goldner—and the red tailed hawks—seem to be doing just that.