Shropshire Birder
The Portfolio - Birds in flight
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Birds in flight
I will cover the technical side of bird flight photography in more detail once the 'photography' page is launched. Key requisites are a fast focussing telephoto lens of adequate reach, a fast (1/1000 or faster) shutter speed, good anticipation plus a careful eye for exposure compensation.
Common Buzzard
Many of the most drmatic moments of bird flight are captured at the point of take off or landing! Take off can be a tricky moment however as it can happen without warning. This Common Buzzard was feasting on a Canada Goose during December 2012 then sat for what seemed like an eternity! My eyes and arms were aching when the moment finally came! From 5 keepers I chose to tightly crop this one image accentuating the eye contact and feather detail, helped by wonderful winter light.
Garganey
A picture should ideally tell a story and it's pretty obvious what's going on here! A fiercely territorial Mute Swan was giving this drake Garganey a hard time at Radipole lake in May 2010, I managed to capture one of the 'take offs'. At a distance of 60m or so, a long telephoto lens gives a decent depth of focus
Osprey
There could have been no excuses! Several visits to Venus Pool by a passage Osprey in April meant a few decent flight shots should have been possible. With blue sky at a premium, this moment as the bird circled over the pool was the best of a considerable bunch!
Dunlin flock
Flight shot's of waders, especially in flocks have a special appeal. Good anticipation for the right moment - when they tilt at right angles and present the perfect aspect for autofocus. This flock of Dunlin had just left their high tide roost at Wallasey in search of food - timing and knowing where to find wader flocks is paramount.
Black Kite
If at first you don't succeed.... A return visit to Gigrin farm in Feb 2010 was needed to capture the Black Kite against a blue sky. I particularly wanted to capture the upperwing and the subtle tones of black/brown/silver/grey. The bird itself obliged perfectly in this frame with a twist of that fantastic tail and head bill showing well.
Red Kite
The Red Kites of course are impossible to ignore! The challenge at Gigrin is to ignore the tagged birds, stick with one individual and get that classic - 'just about to plunge' shot. A day there will result in lots of midnight oil being burnt selecting the better shots - this was one of those!..... 
Turnstone
An early shot, taken at Titchwell in Sept 2007 with the 100-400m zoom lens and still one of my favourites. Shorter focal length lenses in the 300-400mm category are ideal for flight photography. The Turnstone here is flying low over the waves, captured with wings outstretched and with all the features in sharp focus.
Puffin
A trip to the Farne islands in May 2008 gave an opportunity to tackle Puffin flight shots! From the hundreds of shots, I selected this one for the portfolio. The bird is slowing down as it comes in to land - another tactic when photographing birds in flight - catch them taking off or landing..... 
Knot
Another wader in flight from Titchwell in September 2007. Catching the wingbeat on the down stroke gives a visually appealing image and maximum detail of the bird's plumage pattern in flight.
Peregrine Falcon
My work with the local Peregrine group has resulted in some exciting images and this pair of recently fledged juveniles is one of my favourites. Everything happens quickly when Peregrines in flight are concerned but these two were captured in a mid flight stall as they pretended to 'food pass' and in the evening light, I got away with a shutter speed below 1/1000 sec! 
All images are strictly copyright and may not be used for any use without my permission. Images are available for publication. I am also able to supply prints on request (ideal for gifts or framing) in a range of sizes. Please email me for further details.