Hanging on a prey

Hanging on a prey

You must be my god
Because for you, I prey
So spread your wings
And make me pray
For my life

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This was taken in the Jerusalem biblical zoo, Israel.
It's a Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)
There is a cage there where you can be really close to the eagles and hawks with no separation between them to the visitors.
This dude was sitting very close to me and everytime I flashed him with my camera, it was very annoying for him.
I was planning this shot for a long time, and it took me about 20 minutes to get it, closely getting closer to him, adjusting my flash and shutter speed to allow myself a perfect capture.

The 10mm lens can tell the story of how close I was to him when I took this. He actually got a small piece of my 10mm hood

Camera = Nikon D70
Lens = Sigma 10-20mm
Exposure Time = 1/160"
F Number = F11
Exposure Program = Manual
ISO Speed Ratings = 200
Metering Mode = CenterWeightedAverage
Flash = SB800 / Flash fired, auto mode, return light detected
Focal Length = 10mm

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The Short-toed Eagle breeds around the Mediterranean Basin and into Russia and the Middle East.
This population migrates mainly to sub-Saharan Africa north of the Equator leaving in September/October and returning in April/May. There are also resident populations in India and Pakistan and in some Indonesian islands.
It breeds in open, arid country often in mountains but it requires trees for nesting. In southern France at least, it is often seen hunting over vineyards. It feeds almost entirely on snakes.

It is a large and pale eagle with long, broad wings. The tail has 3 or 4 bars. The neck looks short and a dark bib is a noticeable feature in flight. It is often seen hovering while searching for prey and, when it soars it does so on flattish wings.

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