Red-tailed Hwak with Prey.

[Karl Egressy]

For the sake of those who won't read the long story: It was not fed, it was a natural prey.
I'm not aginst or for it, feeding that is, I just don't do it.

We had an interesting, once in a lifetime encounter with this juvenile hawk.
We spotted it while it was sitting in a tree along the road in a Natural Area.
Got out from the car and tried to get into position, which led us to a chain link fence.
All of a sudden the hawk dropped down from the tree, right in front of us maybe three feet from me.
It was after a Field Mouse.
The mouse crossed the chain link fence and the hawk looked puzzled and was jumping up and trying to go after
the mouse.
After this failure he flew back to the perch (tree). We walked over to the field and watched the hawk.
It dropped down again and this time it caught a mouse. I went down low and took a few shots.
This was the only time so far I witnessed this behavior and I was rewarded with a few pictures.
Almosr full frame.
Thanks for looking.


Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Tv 1/250
Av 4.0
ISO 640
EF500mm f/4L IS USM
I almost forgot to mention : originally it had a sllight magenta cast. I neralized all colour casts as per Ellen Anon's and Tim Grey's description.
Arthur Morris also describes it in details in his Digital Basics.

[Joe Senzatimore]

Great behavior and story. Might crop some off the bottom as I find all the oof forground distracting.

[Grace Scalzo]

Super action caught, Karl. I agree with Joe and also would take from the right to help reduce distractions. Good job.

[RakeshDhareshwar]

Lovely action caught here , Karl . The inclusion of the environs here do not add much to the image . Would go with a closer crop .

[Jonathan Ashton]

Fine shot, I would certainly take a bit off the bottom, this would emphasise the framing with the grasses. I appreciate the colour correction but it did occur to me that perhaps the temperature is just a little cool??

[Karl Egressy]

Fine shot, I would certainly take a bit off the bottom, this would emphasise the framing with the grasses. I appreciate the colour correction but it did occur to me that perhaps the temperature is just a little cool??

Thanks Jonathan, Thank you all.
Here is a version as far as crop goes that I posted on NSN earlier. Now I warmed it up a bit.
Some people like bigger crop some smaller one. I do like both.
Which one do you like better?
Thanks for your feedback.

[Jonathan Ashton]

The repost is for me - big improvement, and like the water droplet on the hawk's tail!

[Daniel Cadieux]

What a terrific observation you had! I'm sure it's one you won't soon forget, if ever I kinda like the OP...I feel the mound of grasses at right nicely gives balance to the comp and gives the long grass stems a home base. I do agree the colour temperature is rather on the cool side (for both versions). I also find the subject looks a tad soft (or smoothed out on the pluamge). Very neat to have a natural prey (I do bait, but for having the prey visible natural is the way to go.).

[Ishmeet Sahni]

A lifer, of a shot. I don't think you would ever forget this moment......