Sincere apology Dave, I didn't mean to hijack your thread! Life is a bit chaotic lately and was headed for town so I "stooped" in and reacted.

Now, as for "stoops' or "swoops", it seems quite natural for those of us ignorant of the traditions of falconry to say "swoops", so interesting to learn the details you provide often re. birds of all sorts.
Sort of easy to see Billy's POV re. words and pictures though. When we get serious about Haiga, we shouldn't let the picture become secondary. The "pose" of the bird here is so very interesting, a "portrait"! I could wish all the background darker areas could be lightened considerably so the bird would stand out more against a pale background. Just an opinion...the dark menace, from the victim's position, against the bright sky. Is that reasonable?

Thanks for looking and for your comments, which are more fully understood than you might imagine. I considered "swoop" and "dive", but, the term "stoop" has specifically referred to a raptorial bird's controlled, high-speed descent at prey ever since the days of late Early English (Anglo-Saxon) and early Middle English.

As a long-time falconer who was actively involved with an extensive coterie of other raptor biologist-ornithologist-falconers associated with the Peregrine Foundation who labored for years to carry out captive breeding and controlled release of captive-bred falcons to re-establish the nearly extinct population of peregrine falcons East of the Rockies, I am rightly proud of the role falconry has played in raptor conservation. Those same falconer/biologists have been equally involved in re-establishing self-sustaining populations of the bald eagle in the "lower 48" as well as a number of other threatened and endangered raptor species elsewhere around the world.

(..and thanks for the opportunity to give a "shout-out" for the crucial role played by falconry and falconers in raptorial bird conservation.)

Dave

Thanks much, Donolea!
I've been writing haiku for about 55years... longer than I played hockey (had to quit at 48 when the knees exerted persuasive arguments against continuing). Always figured those head hits ...and the earlier ones from boxing...somehow promoted the reflective, Zen-like mind-set so inductive of haiku awareness.... Or maybe not....
...
Anyway, try to regain that sense of regaining your senses and awareness after having had your "bell rung" and you might find it helpful to entering a haiku frame o' mind!

I appreciate your comments, and must say I'm continually in awe of your amazing pp and retouching skills..and advice.

Many thanks,
Dave