Birds in Flight!
The gold standard of nature photography
A turkey vulture reaching for the sky (Photo by Charles A. Ray)
Ask any bird photographer what his or her favorite shot is, and odds are the answer will be, ‘birds in flight.’ While the bird identification guides usually showcase birds perched or standing—in water or on the ground—the most stunning pictures of birds are of them doing what they’re most well-known for: defying gravity as they soar and swoop through the air.
While most of my bird photos are of stationary birds, I’ve lucked out and snagged a few of birds in flight that are the pride of my photo collection. Take a look and see if you don’t agree.
A turkey vulture taking off from a tree
A mallard launching from a tidal pool . . .
. . . and then, in full flight.
A great blue heron on the wing.
Smaller birds like this one are much harder to capture in flight, but sometimes you get lucky.
Grabbed this ibis taking off during a trip to Florida in 2022.
A seagull preparing to dive for food, off the coast of Maine in 2023
The money shot - a seagull in flight with a perfect reflection on the calm surface of the water.
Dear Charles Ray - It’s good to see another bird photographer. Next time you’re out, you might want to increase your shutter speed to1/ 3000. Best wishes
Serving in Africa lines up incredibly well with an interest in birds.