Quick Shot: Surprise Gift

Nature sometimes gives me a gift and presents a tantalizing subject on a silver platter. Today, I got such a surprise gift from a Osprey. 

I was near a little pond photographing a green heron, when I noticed the heron's body suddenly tense as he looked skyward. One of the first things I learned in wildlife photography was to watch the body language of my subject for clues about other wildlife or to anticipate interesting behavior. When I saw the heron tense and look up, I knew he'd seen a predator. 

Turning my lens in the direction of his gaze, I saw a large Osprey had just landed on a tree feet away from me. His feathers were soaked because he'd just been diving for a fish, which he clutched in his talons. I immediately started snapping away and watching as the Osprey used his beak to rip off chunks of fish for lunch. After a few minutes, he decided it was time to take his lunch to a new location and I snapped this shot right as he left his perch.  

I like this shot because you can clearly see the fish in his talons. Nature presented me with a gift today, and I did my best job to capture it so that I could share this experience with you. Hope you like it!