Birds in Flight Photography

Bird-in-flight Photography, BIF as it is popularly known as, has been a subset of Birding and Photography. This is one topic which has fascinated many photographers for ages. Of course the birds look so beautiful when they are flying, those freeze-the-action-shot moments and the myriad colors that the bird shows while flying, intrigues us the most. Having said that, I would like to mention here that I detest those people who disturb the bird just to get that one elusive shot of a flying bird. 

I personally follow a principal of no outside interference when clicking the birds in flight. I don't even strive to get a BIF picture, neither I call myself a photographer. I am a bird watcher and will always prefer to be called the same, photography for me is only a medium to remember what I saw. And same applies to Supriya too. Both of us will only click a BIF if it is there in front of us happening on its own and we never run after it or strive for it. 

Camera Settings used for most BIF pics below: 

• Manual settings with 1/5000 shutter speed 
• ISO fixed at 2000 
• Aperture always at max open 
• Back button focusing 
• Metering - Centre weighted 
• Autofocus - AI Servo 
• Autofocus method - Zone AF 
• Canon R5 - Bird eye tracking (This is only available for R5) 

Camera and Lens used to click the below images: 

• Supriya is using Canon R5 with Canon RF 800 mm (using since August-2021) 
• I'm using Canon R5 with Canon EF 400 mm f/4 (using since March-2022) 
• Canon 7D Mark ii with Canon EF 400 mm f/4 (used from Dec-2018 to February-2022) 
• Canon 70D with Canon EF 400 mm f/5.6 (used from May-2014 to August-2021) 
• Canon 1100D with Canon EFS 85-250 mm (used from Jan-2012 to May-2014)

Here are some of the pics which we managed to click throughout our various bird outings. 

Griffon Vulture (Jaisalmer)

Cinereous Vulture (Jaisalmer)

Long-legged Buzzard (GRK)

White-eyed Buzzard - Bandhavgarh

Black-winged Kite - Bandhavgarh

Lesser Adjutant - Bandhavgarh

Oriental Honey-buzzard female - Kanha

Common Tern - Bidar

Montagu's Harrier male - Bidar

Bearded Vulture - Garhwal

Common Kestrel female - Garhwal

Alpine Swift - Garhwal

Crested Serpent Eagle - Eagle's Nest

Mountain Hawk Eagle - Eagle's Nest

Mountain Hawk Eagle - Eagle's Nest

Himalayan Buzzard - Eagle's Nest

Himalayan Buzzard - Eagle's Nest

Ibisbill - Sikkim

Rufous-bellied Eagle - Arunachal

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Assam

Black-winged Kite - Assam

Black-winged Kite - Assam

Tufted Duck - Maithon

Red-rumped Swallow - Bijapur

Cotton Pygmy Goose - Hyderabad

Grey Heron - Hyderabad

Black-headed Ibis - Hyderabad

Black Baza - Andaman

White-bellied Sea Eagle - Andaman

Dollarbird - Andaman

long legged buzzard - GRK

Common Kestrel - GRK

Gull billed Tern - GRK

Brown headed Gull - GRK

Lesser Crested Tern - GRK

Eurasian Spoonbill - GRK

Indian Pond Heron - Hyderabad

Greater Flamingo - Hyderabad

Darter - Hyderabad

Black-winged Stilt - Hyderabad

Little Egret - Hyderabad

Asian Openbill - Hyderabad

Purple Heron - Hyderabad

Glossy Ibis - Hyderabad

Black-winged Stilt - Hyderabad

Brahminy Kite - Singapore

Malabar Pied Hornbill Male - Ganeshgudi

Black-winged Stilt - Hyderabad

Painted Stork - Hyderabad

Yellow-wattled Lapwing - Hyderabad

Black Kite - Hyderabad

Spot-billed Pelican - Uppalpadu

Painted Stork - Uppalpadu

Spot-billed Pelican - Uppalpadu

Eurasian Marsh Harrier Female - LRK

Black-eared Kite Juvenile - Himachal

Booted Eagle - Samaspur

Northern Shoveler  - Mangalajodi

Ruddy Shelduck  - Mangalajodi

Spot-billed Duck  - Mangalajodi

Northern Pintail  - Mangalajodi

Northern Pintail female - Bharatpur

Whiskered Tern  - Mangalajodi

Greylag Goose - Mangalajodi

Asian Openbill - Mangalajodi

Grey Heron - Mangalajodi

Eurasian Marsh Harrier - Bharatpur

Egyptian Vulture - Bharatpur

Red-wattled Lapwing - Hyderabad

Ruddy Shelduck - Assam

Laggar Falcon - GRK

Crested kingfisher - Uttarakhand

Short-toed Snake Eagle (GRK)

Eastern Imperial Eagle (GRK)

Greylag Goose (GRK)

Booted Eagle pale morph (GRK)

Common Crane (LRK)

Bar-headed Geese (LRK)

Osprey (Nalsarovar)

Red-headed Vulture (Panna)

Himalayan Vulture (Panna)

Indian Vulture (Panna)

Himalayan Vulture (Panna)

Wire-tailed Swallow (Panna)

Wire-tailed Swallow (Panna)

Upland Buzzard (Dhanachuli)