Cropped, sharpened, composited.

While having a snack at the kitchen island I noticed in my peripheral vision a movement outside the dining room window. Immediately turning my head I saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk slam into the ground of my backyard. Quickly grabbing my camera I could tell it had caught something big in its talons and was standing still over it.

With the camera firing at the window as fast as I could I captured around 35 images, most of which the hawk was just standing on his prey. Whenever the still living bird flinched or thrashed, the hawk would then flex its talons to freshen its grip or apply killing pressure. Before long I could positively ID the prey species, a red shafted Northern Flicker which is about a third the size of the hawk.

Abruptly, the hawk spread its wings and tail like a canopy over the Flicker. My guess it was covering any attempt at escape of its prey or for greater stability or even to hide the meal from other potential hunters. Or all of the above. The hawk kept a sharp eye looking over its shoulder several times. And as usual it could either hear or see me or both as it gave me the hawkeyed glare. Right then our canine decided he was not having this activity on his turf and charged the hawk which promptly flew away meal in its tight grip.