Here's lookin at you, Kid.

[LightSpeed666]

This one was hard. He came for the bait, hit the ground, and looked right at me in the blind.
I had one shot. Heard the shutter flip and off like a rocket, he was gone.
This is a Harris hawk. They are known to hunt in packs, like wolves.
I am still practicing my " exposure" and composition. I hope you are all well today, and this message finds you well.

 

[Jeff15]

Very good shooting......

 

[LightSpeed666]

Thank you sir.

 

[Derrel]

Good shot.

 

[Photo Lady]

wow great shot!! wow that look!

 

[Winona]

Great!

 

[K9Kirk]

Nice shot and I would have to say animals produce some of the best "Stink Eye's."

 

[PJM]

Very nice shot. Sometimes you only need one.

 

[LightSpeed666]

Thank you all.
I've been working real hard with this. I sat in a blind for 3 days, dressed in a ghillie suit, trying to bait something like this in, close.
And he was close. Really close. So close that this image was gotten at an 82mm focal length which was set prior to the bird landing on an approximation, distance to bait.
A live Quail in a small black wire cage was used as bait. When he came in he hit the cage and rolled it. It was like he didn't understand what just happened. Auto focus on the Tamron 70-200mm was used. This lens has a noisy auto focus, and it was THAT and not the shutter flip that made him look right at me. ( even though it moved for only a split second).
That was enough for alarm instinct to kick in. That look he is giving the camera, is the squat before flight look. I did not want the cage and the Quail all rolled over in the image.
I may never get another shot like this one. It's hard. I'm real serious about that. Truth is, I lucked out. I thought the camera was in continuous shoot mode, and it wasn't. Lesson learned. When I fired and held the button down, click. One time.
The other hawk was in a different place and was obtained the same way. He was in more clutter than you can possibly imagine. Took more than 3 days for that one. That's getting up before daylight and sitting in a blind mostly all day. Until something happens. If it happens. And when it does, you better be ready. I mean all the camera settings, and have your thumb on the wheel because you don't have much time.
This could have taken weeks or months. There are lots of things that I need, and don't have , and can't afford, to be doing things like this. Somehow this has turned into work. I don't know. Anyway I'm trying.
The quail. He is fine. He's well fed and taken care of. I'm gonna retire him. His job is done.
Thanks again to you all.