Close Encounter of the Bird Kind

okay, so i stole out to a couple of local ponds in the area to do some Christmas fishing.  our family decided we were going to do the white elephant Christmas gift exchange, and i had about 1.5 hours to kill beforehand.   i had read that these ponds were good places for carp or LMB, but as i came to the second pond, i have to admit, i freaked out a bit.  as i arrived, a bunch of different birds were going crazy,  flying around, chirping up a storm.  it actually reminded me of how bait scatters when stripers or blues are around.  then i saw it... an enormous hawk.  it was stalking these birds and they were signalling each other.

then the hawk swooped down and i got a good look as to how big it was.  i swear, the wingspan must have been at least 6 feet.  i then thought, given the size, it must be an owl or something. but as i got a good look...it was a hawk.  the thing was big enough that i thought that, no problem, this thing could take me out easily.  i got freaked out and blew out of there.  i know it wouldn't harm me, but holy cow, that thing is a predator.