WC-496 Extreme Kill

Out at Croton point NY last winter, stalking the resident pair of Red-tailed hawks. I was surprised to see the violence of the male Red-tailed hawk capturing a squirrel in deep snow. In order to kill it, the hawk repeatedly buried its prey headfirst in the snow. I was about 50 yards away when I first noticed the hawk jumping up and down in the snow. When I go into range I took this shot. The hawk is pulling the squirrel out of the snow, it then forced it again headfirst into the snow until the squirrel was dead. Wild bird not baited. Nikon D300s with 300mm f2.8 and 1.4tc. ISO 400, f5.6, shutter 1/1000.