On my way home from the train yesterday afternoon, I was barely paying attention to the chatter of local birds when I looked up into a tree across the street I was approaching, and saw the distinct form of a Cooper’s Hawk enjoying an early dinner. I had taken the 100-400mm lens and the 7D with me to the lakefront early in the morning before work, so I decided to try and maybe get a few pictures of the hawk.

By the time I got my camera out of my backpack, he’d grown aware of my presence and moved on to another perch, sans prey.

Then it was across the street into a yard with a playset, affording a jumble of perches.

Again, I’m just not tall enough to shoot over the fence.

The hawk finally decided to give me an opportunity to take in his majesty, perhaps so I’d quit wasting his time and he could move on.

The chattering of the smaller birds was incessant, by the way, reminding me to pay more attention to them in the future.