![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/coopers-hawk-3719-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n By the time I got focused on them the hawk had already decided that it was going to vamoose with the pigeon and was apparently trying to\u00a0figure out\u00a0where to grasp it with its talons for the aerial hauling job ahead. An adult pigeon is large prey for a Cooper’s\u00a0Hawk and it wouldn’t be an easy task to take off and fly with it.<\/p>\n I had no qualms about disturbing the bird and making it move the prey because I was concerned for its safety on the road. As I drove past\u00a0it to get to the other side for good light I was within about 15′ of it and it didn’t fly. This was a recipe for disaster if someone came speeding by, as they sometimes do on this\u00a0road.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/p>\n The hawk quickly decided where it wanted to grasp the pigeon with its talons and…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/p>\n gave me one last look before…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/p>\n attempting to take off with its heavy load.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/p>\n It got the pigeon into the air…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/p>\n but only made it about a foot off the pavement before it lost its grip on the heavy pigeon and dropped it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/p>\n The pigeon fell through the air (I thought the flying drop of blood was pretty unique)…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/p>\n and fell back to the pavement. The hawk landed in a nearby tree and tried to decide what its next move might be.<\/p>\n At this point I decided to move my pickup further away from the pigeon so the hawk would be more likely to retrieve it. But as I was doing so the Cooper’s flew in, grabbed the pigeon and took off with it. It was so heavy it had great difficulty gaining any elevation – it barely cleared a 4′ chain link fence in the front yard of one of the houses and landed with the pigeon on the lawn. At that point a lady walking with\u00a0her toddler granddaughter\u00a0walked right by the fence. This flushed the hawk back into the tree and the pigeon…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1000, f\/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/p>\n was left on the lawn.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n