Birds Birds in Flight Thread - Post Your Shots Here

Shots are great, what is a bit bothersome about the blue tit is so little contrast between the subject and background. They're too similar in color.
Yep it could be Tim I have the shot when the bird lands and that is very similar the sky looks a bit false
 
The "little Tern" or perhaps "Fairy Tern" has returned today, but the beach was quite busy so they didn't stick around long.

What I've discovered is that this ain't easy! As soon as it flew down below the horizon, the screen went dark. What should I have done differently?

GJF05732.jpeg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3000001907367
  • 1/4000 sec
  • ISO 125


GJF05752.jpeg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3000001907367
  • 7915/39575001 sec
  • ISO 125


GJF05753_upscale.jpeg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3000001907367
  • 7915/39575001 sec
  • ISO 125
 
Was out walking around doing snowscape shots when these ducks took off. Was surprised it turned out at all based on the shutter speed and lens.

DSC04954 by telecast, on Flickr
 
The "little Tern" or perhaps "Fairy Tern" has returned today, but the beach was quite busy so they didn't stick around long.

What I've discovered is that this ain't easy! As soon as it flew down below the horizon, the screen went dark. What should I have done differently?

View attachment 33498

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Hi, Gary,

I came across this reference to shooting birds in flight against varying backgrounds.

The relevant portion starts at 17:17

I also found this one interesting
 
The "little Tern" or perhaps "Fairy Tern" has returned today, but the beach was quite busy so they didn't stick around long.
Everybody wants their bird to be the rare one but that is the Great Crested Tern. Good captures and you are learning the challenges.
 
Today I went out hoping the cherry blossoms would be out as they have been picking up in some areas but no luck. Wish I would have also brough the 200-600 but the 100-400 is great.
Some Ma-Llards (makes them sound more exotic)
A1_09919-DN.jpg
  • ILCE-1
  • Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM)
  • 400.0 mm
  • ƒ/5.6
  • 1/4000 sec
  • ISO 8000


A1_01119-DN.jpg
  • ILCE-1
  • Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM)
  • 400.0 mm
  • ƒ/5.6
  • 1/4000 sec
  • ISO 6400
 
Everybody wants their bird to be the rare one but that is the Great Crested Tern. Good captures and you are learning the challenges.
Haha! It’s true. This fella was only about the same size as a pigeon, though. The whole beach would have really marveled at a half meter long bird diving between swimmers to catch fish. I’ll take another look and see if the pair are back there today.
 
Would you mind just holding these two slices of bread while I photograph that horse?

BEF4164E-85C2-464A-A979-7C39243E5F97.jpeg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS
  • 152.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/160 sec
  • ISO 800
 
Red-Tailed Hawk (my first hawk)
DSC07418.jpg
  • ILCE-1
  • Sony FE 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G)
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/2000 sec
  • ISO 800
DSC07419.jpg
  • ILCE-1
  • Sony FE 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G)
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/2000 sec
  • ISO 800
 
ED4C590B-D243-4D2F-9691-2D84B08EE90D.jpeg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
  • 500.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/4000 sec
  • ISO 800

Flock of Corella
 
I saw a pair of Red-Tailed Hawks circling but there were too many trees to get a clear shot while they were close (as you can see in the first shot) but I did get a few shots that I was able to crop.
JRV08053.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
  • 400.0 mm
  • ƒ/7.1
  • 1/320 sec
  • ISO 320
JRV08063.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
  • 400.0 mm
  • ƒ/7.1
  • 1/320 sec
  • ISO 200
 
These refused to hold still....

GJF07455.jpg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/4000 sec
  • ISO 250


Does the "swing and a miss" count?
GJF07568.jpg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/4000 sec
  • ISO 320



Cheeky bugga
GJF07569.jpg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/4000 sec
  • ISO 320
 
First a Royal Tern that missed getting a meal but the meal decided to get moving. A Monk Parakeet coming in to find food in the trees.

A1_00475_1.jpg
  • ILCE-1
  • Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM)
  • 400.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/2500 sec
  • ISO 400


A1_00683.jpg
  • ILCE-1
  • Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM)
  • 400.0 mm
  • ƒ/7.1
  • 1/2500 sec
  • ISO 400
 
This is a Greater Antillean Grackle which is a common bird in the Carribean and overall generally a boring bird except for the tail. Most birds have a horizonal tail but these have a vertical V shaped tail. When these fly it initially appears as though they are moving slower than they are (as it appears the tail is slowing them down) but then you see how quickly they can change direction and realize what the tail does for them. I've seen a lot of birds but I can't think of others that have a tail like this.
A1_00007_1-DN.jpg
  • ILCE-1
  • Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM)
  • 400.0 mm
  • ƒ/5.6
  • 1/2500 sec
  • ISO 8000
 
This is a Greater Antillean Grackle which is a common bird in the Carribean and overall generally a boring bird except for the tail. Most birds have a horizonal tail but these have a vertical V shaped tail. When these fly it initially appears as though they are moving slower than they are (as it appears the tail is slowing them down) but then you see how quickly they can change direction and realize what the tail does for them. I've seen a lot of birds but I can't think of others that have a tail like this.View attachment 34331
Crazy.
 
Mammals in flight. One of a few.

The Flying Fox, I guess, called that because of the fox skin fur coat they wear around their necks.... We have two species living nearby... One that is all black and therefore almost impossible to photograph, and then these ladies. You can discern the males for the females by the firefighting equipment they leave dangling below, as they flap along. They birth live young that cling on tight as the adult flies. I'm hoping to get one in my frame one day.

They dive into the water to wet their fur, then lick off the water, which minimises potential exposure to crocodiles and such. They never seem to come close, so, of the dozen or more I saw drinking tonight, I got one shot off.

Unlike the predatory Australian drop bear, these mammals survive on nectar and fruit, which they forage at night, spending all day in colonies numbering in the thousands. Unlike bats, they do not use echolocation but have perfect night vision, which can momentarily be rendered ineffective if I had chosen to illuminate the subjects with a camera flash. Just around sunset, they all leave their roost and fly off into the dark, which makes them a bit challenging for photographers.

Unlike birds, their wings are simple folds of skin that collapse on every upstroke, so they rise and fall as they fly. They hang from branches with hook like wings and feet.

These shots were captured using .... Clear Image Zoom .... in the blue hour.

GJF05301.jpg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 135mm F1.8 GM
  • 135.0 mm
  • ƒ/1.8
  • 1/1600 sec
  • ISO 12800



GJF03475-2.jpg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • 135.0 mm
  • ƒ/1.8
  • 1/8000 sec
  • ISO 1250


GJF03476.jpg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • 135.0 mm
  • ƒ/1.8
  • 1/8000 sec
  • ISO 1250
 
Mammals in flight. One of a few.

The Flying Fox, I guess, called that because of the fox skin fur coat they wear around their necks.... We have two species living nearby... One that is all black and therefore almost impossible to photograph, and then these ladies. You can discern the males for the females by the firefighting equipment they leave dangling below, as they flap along. They birth live young that cling on tight as the adult flies. I'm hoping to get one in my frame one day.

They dive into the water to wet their fur, then lick off the water, which minimises potential exposure to crocodiles and such. They never seem to come close, so, of the dozen or more I saw drinking tonight, I got one shot off.

Unlike the predatory Australian drop bear, these mammals survive on nectar and fruit, which they forage at night, spending all day in colonies numbering in the thousands. Unlike bats, they do not use echolocation but have perfect night vision, which can momentarily be rendered ineffective if I had chosen to illuminate the subjects with a camera flash. Just around sunset, they all leave their roost and fly off into the dark, which makes them a bit challenging for photographers.

Unlike birds, their wings are simple folds of skin that collapse on every upstroke, so they rise and fall as they fly. They hang from branches with hook like wings and feet.

These shots were captured using .... Clear Image Zoom .... in the blue hour.

View attachment 34762


View attachment 34764

View attachment 34763
WoW! These are fantastic, well done.
 
raven 2023 1.jpg
  • ILCE-9
  • Sony FE 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G)
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/7.1
  • 1/2500 sec
  • ISO 500
raven 2023.jpg
  • ILCE-9
  • Sony FE 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G)
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/7.1
  • 1/2500 sec
  • ISO 500
raven 2023 3.jpg
  • ILCE-9
  • Sony FE 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G)
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/7.1
  • 1/2500 sec
  • ISO 640
raven 2023 2.jpg
  • ILCE-9
  • Sony FE 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G)
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/7.1
  • 1/2500 sec
  • ISO 640
raven 2023 4.jpg
  • ILCE-9
  • Sony FE 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G)
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/7.1
  • 1/2500 sec
  • ISO 640
 
Great Blue Heron took flight to cross the lake when I got a little too close.
JRV00616.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
  • 100.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/2000 sec
  • ISO 500
JRV00622.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
  • 259.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/2000 sec
  • ISO 640
JRV00623.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
  • 259.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/2000 sec
  • ISO 640
JRV00628.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
  • 400.0 mm
  • ƒ/6.3
  • 1/2000 sec
  • ISO 400
 
Did you know listening to birds singing is better than meditation?

This morning "Willy" decided I was not a threat, so he sat near me picking off any sand flies and other flying insects that came my way. Then sat next to me and sang his song.

GJF06374.jpeg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 135mm F1.8 GM
  • 135.0 mm
  • ƒ/1.8
  • 1/4000 sec
  • ISO 1250


GJF06449.jpeg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 135mm F1.8 GM
  • 135.0 mm
  • ƒ/1.8
  • 1/2000 sec
  • ISO 1600


GJF06196.jpeg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 135mm F1.8 GM
  • 135.0 mm
  • ƒ/1.8
  • 1/2000 sec
  • ISO 4000


GJF06197.jpeg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 135mm F1.8 GM
  • 135.0 mm
  • ƒ/1.8
  • 1/2000 sec
  • ISO 4000


GJF06547.jpeg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 135mm F1.8 GM
  • 135.0 mm
  • ƒ/11
  • 1/250 sec
  • ISO 1600



GJF06243_upscale.jpeg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 135mm F1.8 GM
  • 135.0 mm
  • ƒ/1.8
  • 1/2000 sec
  • ISO 3200
 
Last edited:
Did you know listening to birds singing is better than meditation?

This morning "Willy" decided I was not a threat, so he sat near me picking off any sand flies and other flying insects that came my way. Then sat next to me and sang his song.

View attachment 35050

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View attachment 35052
I'm sorry, Gaz, you'll need to delete your photos. Hasn't anyone told you the A7IV is incapable of this type of photography? You're going to have to assimilate, that's just the way it is.

:whistle: :p
 
I'm sorry, Gaz, you'll need to delete your photos. Hasn't anyone told you the A7IV is incapable of this type of photography? You're going to have to assimilate, that's just the way it is.

:whistle: :p
Yeah, tiny birds catching insects- an impossible subject for the A7iv
😂
 
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