Moment of Impact

In Edmonton Alberta, there is a spectacle witnessed daily every year at the Alberta Grain Terminal. From approximately November until mid March wintering gyrfalcons and prairie falcons hunt the area for the local pigeons or rock doves. The pigeons are there of course to feed on the spilled grain from the rail cars. Usually, one or two grys, one or two prairie falcons, the rare appearance of a goshawk and occasional female merlin hunt daily. The air show begins around 1100 and finishes around 1530, give or take and hour depending on temperature, minus 35 windchill, to hardly any action on really warm days. Less calories required. Ravens have been seen taking pigeons as well. (another story). Ravens also gang up and steal a pigeon from the gyr or prairie. The gyr has been known to kill 4 times in a day. It's a meat market. Sometimes the kill, after waiting for 3 hours in the cold happens in mere seconds. Other times the aerodynamics involved in the flying is off the charts. Unbelievable action. Unfortunately, the action is 100 to 150 meters away due to private property fences and the vigilance of the CN Rail police.
In this shot, right at the moment of impact, you see some blood on the tail feathers from a previous kill. Sometimes the falcon will carry the kill over top of us in the parking lot. Awesome shots. But the distance is tough to deal with.
Nikon D4, Nikkor 200-400 mm VR plus 1.4 TC., ISO 2000, 1/2000 sec, F16.