![](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/swainsons-hawk-9302-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"swainsons-hawk-9302-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n1\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in <\/em><\/p>\n This adult intermediate morph Swainson’s Hawk (photographed last April in Box Elder County)\u00a0had landed on this post with the vole and seemed to be relaxing for a moment before it began to leisurely\u00a0enjoy its meal when the hawk suddenly flinched. In other images it actually jumped up off the post an inch or so and raised its left foot with the vole as if to closer inspect the source of the pain.<\/p>\n Immediately after that it administered the coup de gr\u00e2ce by biting the head and neck of the vole…<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in <\/em><\/p>\n and then gobbled it down with gusto. Perhaps revenge contributed its enthusiasm for the meal. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n When it was through eating the\u00a0hawk stayed on the post so I removed my teleconverter in preparation for takeoff (so I’d be less likely to clip any body parts). But soon I spotted a big truck speeding toward us that would pass between me and the bird. I had only two chances for takeoff shots:<\/p>\n But the problem with that second scenario was that as the truck passed my focus points would lock onto the closer truck and I wouldn’t have time to lock back onto the bird if it was in the process of taking off (resulting in an out-of-focus hawk).<\/p>\n So at the last moment I changed my strategy. I locked focus on the bird just before the truck arrived and then took my finger off the focus button (I use back button autofocus) so my focus wouldn’t lock onto the truck. My plan was to fire off a few shots just as the truck got by me. Perhaps the hawk would already be gone but I might get lucky and catch it right at takeoff.<\/p>\n What actually happened was somewhere in-between.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n