BIF... Birds in Flight

This morning while trying to get my caffeine level up to normal I noticed some bird action from the kitchen. My first thought was, "just another buzzard". However, I soon noticed some un-buzzard like behavior.

I didn't have my camera in my hands as it was in the other room and besides, it didn't have my long lens on it. So I watched this hawk as it made three swoops down toward the ground targeting an area out of sight behind my boat. It then retreated and perched on a tree 125 yards from my view point. I went and got the camera and switched lenses to my 55-250 zoom. I waited.

It did not resume its mission as I had hoped but left its perch and went in search of food elsewhere. I got this one passable shot.

Later when I got dressed I went out in the yard to see what might have attracted it. In the general area was a "buck tail". A furry 6 inch piece of a deer tail from one of the deer I shot this year was laying in the grass. Emmitt probably carried it there and just left it.

I believe the hawk had spied it from above and decided to take the presumed prey but when it didn't run or move as it swooped down it didn't have the proper data to complete its mission. Interesting.

The picture is marginal. I need a better lens for BIF and other wildlife. I see a Canon EF 100-400 in my future.

Richard