WARNING: Graphic Images. Better view with an empty stomach !!

[AgingEyes]

Just curious, why did you use ISO 1600? It seems like there was still plenty of light based on the angle of the sun.

Because I started with shooting the juvy in the shade while it was perching, watching the ducks down below in the water:






After that, I was too lazy to change the ISO :blush2:

Most of the shots were taken with a 1.7TC, too, and I wanted to stop down a bit to ensure better sharpness, DOF and faster shutter speeds. The sun was there but sometimes it was blocked by the clouds, too.

how were you able to be in the right spot at the right time?

It was because some birder posted on the local birding list that the hawks were found once again in that park hunting by the pond like the year before. With a bit of luck, too, and ended up in the right place and at the right time. That day was also the only sunny day in a week or so. That morning when I was getting into my car, I still was thinking where to go. I actually was about to leave if not because I saw another photog was still waiting by the pond. He showed me where the hawk were and I decided to stay a bit longer and walked towards where the hawk was. Next thing I knew the hawk was flying down from the tree. And I and that other photog started running.

Here's the first shot I got after the hawk took off from the tree (at least 60% cropped):




This is the next shot in the sequence (huge crop). The hawk still looks in focus despite the background:



Other photographers got the chances to photo the adult goshawk and its prey, but the adult one usually flew away pretty fast to get away from the human beings. This juvy somehow stuck around for almost an hour just feeding on the wigeon despite 6 to 10 people were nearby (with me the closest). I saw the adult hawk that day, too, but it was way high on another tree somewhere else.