On Tuesday I could hear a pair of screaming hawks overhead at Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge and eventually I saw one of them land on a broken-off tree. As I focused on that hawk, which I think is a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), the other hawk zoomed into the frame and continued the fight.
In the first image, the perched hawk appeared to sense the approach of the “enemy” and was preparing itself for battle. I didn’t realize that the other hawk was approaching I saw it through the viewfinder of my camera as you can see in the second shot. At that moment, the stationary hawk was preparing to take off. In the final shot, the flying hawk had closed the gap and the two raptors were engaged in what looked to be a fierce struggle.
Why were they fighting? My guess is that it was some kind of territorial dispute, but there is no way for me to be sure. When I first saw the two hawks chasing each other, I thought it might be love, but the final frame suggests that was not the reason.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Nice actions shots, Mike.
Great timing here. Congrats
Looks like scenes from our grocery stores a few days ago. They are wonderful shots. I especially enjoyed seeing those feet and talons.
Yikes. I hope things have calmed down a bit at the grocery stores. 🙂 I was pretty excited to see this interaction and even more thrilled that I was able to capture some of the action. Static shots of these kinds of subjects are nice, but action shots are even better.
Very Nice Mike! The last shot is Great!
Wow! Those are great action shots, Mike. The fastest camera in the east!
Thanks, Dan. I was happy to be able to react quickly. One of the good things about taking photos as much as I do is that I have a kind of muscle memory now that lets me point my long telephoto zoom lens in the direction of the subject and acquire it pretty quickly (most of the time).
I could get the subject, but I’m not sure about the focus. Are you using auto-focus? If so, it seems pretty fast.
It was auto focus, Dan. I was able to focus on the hawk when it was stationary on the broken-off tree and essentially kept the focus on that for all three shots. It would otherwise have been tough to maintain focus because there was a lot of vegetation that would have interfered. It’s easy to explain, but a little tough to execute when handholding the DSLR and the 150-600mm lens fully extended. 🙂
I can imagine. Good job!
“muscle memory” – oh what a great phrase! I love that so much – must find a way of incorporating it into my vocabulary 🙂
Great captures, Mike!,,, M 🙂
I love seeing these action shots, great job getting those – especially hand held at that distance
The word that comes to mind whilst viewing the enlarged photos, especially the last one, is Phenomenal! This must have been an amazing sight to behold and it is your followers good fortune that you continued photographing as the encounter unfolded. This is a must save for Benjamin! Thank-you, Mr. Mike! P.S. Since 1997 the third Thursday of the month of March, today, is “Absolutely Incredible Kid Day”. Adults are to tell children how much they appreciate them and how incredible they are through letters, videos, or on social media. An email was sent and FaceTime will take place later today with Benjamin. I also send emails to my adult “kids” to let them know that they are still my absolutely incredible kids. It occurred to me that everyone is someone’s kid and should be told that they too are absolutely incredible no matter their age. YOU are indeed an absolutely incredible kid! As the wise Dr. Seuss said : “Adults are just outdated children.”
Absolutely spectacular, Mike! And I love the Dr. Seuss trope.
Wow! Fabulous action shots, Mike. I love the dynamism of each of them.
Thanks, Laura. I know from past experience that you are a fan of action shots vice posed shots. I got pretty lucky in this case to catch some of the peak moments of the activity.
Rare sight I’d guess. Nice shots!
There is so much about nature that we don’t know. Sometimes I wonder about all of the crazy and wonderful things that these creatures do when I am not around. 🙂
It involves a lot more than just luck to be ready to catch fleeting moments like these–primarily preparedness, practice, perseverance, and passion!
Thanks, Gary. I love your alliterative response and agree with you about what it takes to capture images like these. A lot of well-meaning folks attribute the success of a photographer to luck or to an expensive camera, but truth is that the traits you enumerated play a greater role than luck or gear.
Wow, amazing work, Mike – well shot!
Thanks, Eliza. It is always exciting to capture an action sequence like that.
I’ve followed your site for…seems like eight years…and this sequence is amazing, Mike.
Thanks, Bonnie. I think you may well be one of my earliest subscribers. I have been blogging for 7 1/2 years and it has become an important part of my daily life. During these crazy times, the blogging community has been a source of stability amidst all of this turmoil. I hope that you are managing ok during this crisis, Bonnie, and that you remain healthy and safe.
Wow, great action series, Mike!
Thanks, Ellen.
Thanks, Ellen. I am thrilled that I was able to capture that much of the action.
An amazing sequence, Mike, you were certainly in the right place, at the right time.
You help lift my soul!