Osprey eye to eye

This one flew almost straight at me before banking off at the last second, giving a rare direct look at those wide, intense yellow eyes built for spotting fish from high above the water. Ospreys are unusual among raptors in that both sexes look nearly identical.

Getting the shot

A close pass like this happens fast and gives almost no time to react — I had the camera already tracking the bird’s approach, which meant the framing was mostly a matter of holding focus rather than composing on the fly.