Birds Birds in Flight Thread - Post Your Shots Here

RogerSmith · Jan 21, 2026

Great egret glides in to land

ILCE-1M2
FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS
604.0 mm
ƒ/8
1/2500 sec
ISO 640

AlphaWorld · 2026-02-01T04:35:05+0000

I was going to photograph cheetahs and lions. Honest!

Arrived at the zoo with the A1 II + 50-150 f/2.

But the weather was fairly windy, and not too hot. It encouraged some of the local black kites to fly over the zoo. and they were flying lower than usual in classic raptor soaring flight. Too tempting to ignore. Yes, I know 150mm isn't really enough, but...

This is 2000x1500 pixels cropped centre of frame (100%). Shot at 150mm, f/2, 1/8000, ISO 100. Ec set to +1 (courtesy of one of the tips I've received on here, thank you!).

I am fairly happy with this - the definition in the plumage is really good (possibly the clearest I've managed on a black kite). Yes, I'd get a much larger image using the 400-800 at 800mm, but I'd be at f/8 (that's 6 stops down from f/2), and honestly, the 400-800 isn't as sharp as the 50-150.

If I'd been going out to photograph the birds I would have brought the 400-800. Maybe I need a robot lens valet to carry three or four lenses and follow me around? I really don't have the strength to carry them all.

iamdlewis · 2026-02-01T14:52:16+0000

AlphaWorld said:
If I'd been going out to photograph the birds I would have brought the 400-800. Maybe I need a robot lens valet to carry three or four lenses and follow me around?

If we are getting a robot valet might as well get the extra bodies for each lens

iamdlewis · 2026-02-01T16:41:53+0000

Went out for a short bit as it was a little cold (10F/-12.2C). Not a lot out there that was doing much but some Hoodies were in a location more accessible than usually in the area.
First up Mallards