Iwatched the ospreys hunting over the lake behind the house. one by one, they would stalk the defenseless fish swimming too close to the surface and then dive into the lake when they'd selected their victim. not a moment later, they'd break through the surface with a poor fish flailing and fighting for its life, only to carry it away and bring it to its final demise. which words reveal how the author feels about the birds? dive, break stalk, defenseless lake, house lake, swimming

The word that reveals how the author feels about the bird's action is stalk. This excerpt shows how sorry he feels for the the fate of the fish. He talks about the birds and describe their actions as a stalking, which is totally natural in the hunting process, but he still feels pity for the fish. He says, when talking about the fish, that they are "defenseless" swimming too close to the surface.

The author describes the birds as stalkers and ready for hunting, waiting patiently for the time to attack. Although he says nothing about this not being normal, the reader can tell how sad this end of life is for him.