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Death on Wings WC 574
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Death on Wings WC 574

by Ray Whitt

Gallery: Weekly ChallengePosted March 6, 20131,428 views7 comments
Red-tail Hawk suffocated a squirrel in the deep snow before flying of with it to her perch. Wild bird and squirrel, not baited. Nikon D300s, 300mm f2.8+1.4tc, ISO-400, f 5/0, S-1/800.

Comments

7 comments
Comment posted by Verdon on March 6, 2013 at 9:57 PM
Awesome moment, sweet action shot not big fan of centered composition, other that three thumbs up👏👍👏
Registered on June 10, 2011, 147 Posts, 1444 Comments
Comment posted by Rick Turner on March 6, 2013 at 10:15 PM
Very nice capture and the story is great too. :toast:
I too agree about centered photographs and lean to the rule of thirds when composing.
This moment of capture is extraordinary :toast:
Great share.
Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments
Comment posted by Howard Cheek on March 7, 2013 at 8:31 AM
Great action capture Ray, someday hope to witness this myself. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for the Cooper's Hawk shagging a songbird, but I will need to hit the lottery first it seems :wink:
Great entry for this WC, well done! :wavey:
Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on March 7, 2013 at 9:13 AM
Good job in a rapidly evolving scene with good sharpness in the bird's head, tail, and squirrel. The centered subject can be easily fixed by cropping about half of the empty space on the right.
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on March 7, 2013 at 8:23 PM
Great capture of this amazing action, Ray! Interesting info--I didn't realize they would first suffocate the squirrel. . .makes for a neat and tidy kill plus an easier transport, I guess. Good focusing control to get the head, tail, and squirrel sharp. Would be an amazing moment to see, let alone capture in a photo! :toast:
Registered on February 16, 2011, 610 Posts, 3684 Comments
Comment posted by Rob Graham on March 7, 2013 at 10:19 PM
great capture, with good detail. I agree that the bird needs to be less centered.
Registered on August 22, 2006, 842 Posts, 2824 Comments
Comment posted by Nancy de Flon on March 8, 2013 at 9:06 AM
What an amazing shot. I like the angle of the poor squirrel's body, you can clearly identify the animal and it somehow makes it look as if he's still struggling.
Registered on June 28, 2010, 61 Posts, 284 Comments