Skullcrusher
Skullcrusher - Golden Eagle flies by with ground squirrel kill. I switched cameras to account for the fact that the eagles were flying farther out today. The moment I switched cameras of course, the male Golden Eagle nabs a shrieking California Ground Squirrel and flies right by me with an audible whoosh of wings. I frantically panned and zoomed out. Fortunately, I locked on and got the key sequence in critical focus. I was very pleased to finally capture an image of a Golden Eagle with prey with a soft background.
This particular eagle is an extremely quick and efficient hunter. He originally grabbed the squirrel by the body, but deftly readjusted one set of talons to crush the skull in midair. It's no wonder Golden Eagles are apex aerial predators across multiple continents: they combine size, strength, and speed, all three of which are a rare combination in a single species of raptor.
Species: Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Location: Northern California, CA, USA
Equipment: Canon EOS R7 + EF 100-400mm IS II
Settings: 1/2500s, ISO: 2000, f/5 @271mm, Electronic Shutter, Handheld
Skullcrusher
Skullcrusher - Golden Eagle flies by with ground squirrel kill. I switched cameras to account for the fact that the eagles were flying farther out today. The moment I switched cameras of course, the male Golden Eagle nabs a shrieking California Ground Squirrel and flies right by me with an audible whoosh of wings. I frantically panned and zoomed out. Fortunately, I locked on and got the key sequence in critical focus. I was very pleased to finally capture an image of a Golden Eagle with prey with a soft background.
This particular eagle is an extremely quick and efficient hunter. He originally grabbed the squirrel by the body, but deftly readjusted one set of talons to crush the skull in midair. It's no wonder Golden Eagles are apex aerial predators across multiple continents: they combine size, strength, and speed, all three of which are a rare combination in a single species of raptor.
Species: Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Location: Northern California, CA, USA
Equipment: Canon EOS R7 + EF 100-400mm IS II
Settings: 1/2500s, ISO: 2000, f/5 @271mm, Electronic Shutter, Handheld