Even rainy drizzly mornings can be productive for nature photographers. I came across this hawk perched and grooming/drying itself. I pulled up in the car and pointed my lens at it and took a few shots. Well, three to be exact. I could have even sneaked out of the car door and gotten closer for cleaner and more detailed shots. Alas, it was not to be. The battery died after the third shot. By the time I muttered to myself "Crikey!" and reloaded a fresh battery the hawk had already taken off (now there's an opportunity missed). I do have the Canon 30D battery grip which I don't use until the cold weather which is known for its battery draining, especially with an Image Stabilization lens, temps.

The good news is this area is good for seeing hawks so I will try again....with a fresh battery. If the hawk had been facing forward so we could see its head I would have been happy with the shot because of the moody lighting and colours on the hawk. I did see where the hawk flew to but the rain was falling intermittently so I eventually left.