Cooper's Hawk with prey

Only moments after photographing the White-crowned Sparrow Flying (Dorsal view) from my Nov. 28, 2024 post HERE, I was surprised by this Cooper’s Hawk as it swooped down and grabbed the Sparrow as it flew away from me. Luckily, my instinct was to point the lens at the bird and follow it. I got off a few frames as it banked around and flew towards me.

Cooper’s Hawk with prey in flight (Accipiter cooperii, Épervier de Cooper, COHA) from November 28, 2024, while scouting for my Better than Bosque workshop. Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 3,200, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.