The Flight Study is a compilation portfolio containing 100 images and multi-image flight studies
 from several venues across the United States, with links to pages which contain related images.
Hummingbirds, Bald Eagles and other Raptors, Cormorants, Geese, Cranes, and other birds are
displayed in images of takeoffs and landings, hunting flight, scenic flight shots and Flight Studies.

Click an image to open a larger version.
Use your back button to return to this page.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Select a type of bird from the 24 Galleries and Collections

Anna’s Hummingbird Female Flight Study

A flight study showing an Anna’s Hummingbird Female as she transitions to hovering flight,
taken at Indian Peak Ranch in Mariposa, a few miles southwest of Yosemite National Park.

Anna’s Hummingbird Flight Study on Sage XL

A 1500 x 1200 version of the XL Composite (3005 x 2405)
showing an Anna’s Hummingbird female hovering to feed on Sage.

Anna’s Hummingbird Female on Sage 2877

An Anna’s Hummingbird female hovering to feed on Sage.

Anna’s Hummingbird Female on Sage 2870 M

Anna’s Hummingbird Female 1224 M

An Anna’s Hummingbird female in hovering flight. Note the tiny red gorget.
Anna’s is one of the few species whose females have color on their throat.

The Anna’s Hummingbird was named after Anna Massena, Duchess of Rivoli.
It is a medium-sized hummingbird, about 4 inches long, and like all hummingbirds
is able to hover in flight by beating its wings up to 80 times per second, which causes
a humming sound. The hummingbird is the only group of birds which can fly backwards.

All of the landscape (horizontal) large version images linked from the thumbnails are 1500 pixels wide.
Portrait (vertical) images are 1200 pixels tall (1290 pixels with title bar). Images designated with an “M”
in the shot number are 5:4 aspect ratio, 1500 x 1290 with a title bar, or 1500 x 1200 without a title bar.

Anna’s Male Hummingbird 1239 M

An Anna’s Hummingbird male in hovering flight. The Anna’s male is the only North American
hummingbird with a red head. The male Anna’s sings during courtship (images of an Anna’s male
trilling (singing), and rare images of the mating ritual are shown on the Hummingbirds Study page.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Select a type of bird from the 24 Galleries and Collections

Bald Eagle Flight Study 3389-90

A two-image composite of a Bald Eagle in flight at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
In my experience, it is somewhat unusual to get a Bald Eagle flight opportunity at eye level.

Bald Eagle Takeoff Position X3897 M

A Bald Eagle in takeoff position on a stump, taken at eye level at Silver Salmon Creek, Alaska.
This sequence has been the only other time I have had a Bald Eagle flight opportunity at eye level.

Bald Eagle Flight X3900

As mentioned, it is quite rare to see a Bald Eagle at eye level.

Bald Eagle Flight X3904 M

He stayed for a few portraits and then rapidly flew away.

The portraits and other images of Alaskan Eagles are in the Eagles section of the Raptors Wildlife Study.

The Bald Eagle is a sea eagle which primarily feeds on fish, but it will also take waterbirds and rodents.
The name derives from the ancient Bald which means white spot or white head in Old English and Danish.
They build aeries high in trees or on cliffs. These nests are made from sticks, and are typically 5 to 10 feet in
diameter and can weigh 4000-6000 pounds. Their nests are the largest built by any North American bird and the
largest tree nests ever recorded (images of nests are also in the Eagles section of the Raptors Wildlife Study.

Bald Eagle Takeoff Position X3782

A Bald Eagle in the US Postal Service position, in a more usual location high in a tree.
I had been shooting portraits of this Bald Eagle (see the Eagles study) and unfortunately
the focal length of the lens was too long to catch the takeoff without cutting off the wingtips.

Bald Eagle Takeoff X3783 M

Bald Eagle Takeoff X3784 M

A Bald Eagle springs from a treetop into the air on its way to catch some Alaskan salmon.

Bald Eagle Takeoff X3787

A Bald Eagle takeoff from a treetop near Silver Salmon Creek, Alaska.

Bald Eagle X9018

A Bald Eagle soaring over the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.

Bald Eagle Juvenile Takeoff X3066c

A juvenile Bald Eagle (mottled feathers) takes off from the top of a tree near Silver Salmon Creek, Alaska.

Bald Eagle X9008

Most often, when Bald Eagles are seen in flight they are at a considerable height.
The 700mm shot above was a relatively rare flyover, 100 feet over Bosque del Apache.

Bald Eagles are powerful fliers, and often soar on thermal convection currents and updrafts.

More flight images and portraits of Bald Eagles are in the Raptors Wildlife Study.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Select a type of bird from the 24 Galleries and Collections

Black-Crowned Night Heron Flight X0126

A Black-Crowned Night Heron in flight, taken at eye level. In my experience, it is rare to see BCN Herons in daylight flight.

BCN Heron Juvenile Sunset Flight X5667

A juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron takes flight in the
waning light after sunset at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

The most widespread heron in the world, the Black-Crowned Night Heron is a stocky
fellow with a short neck and legs that feeds mostly at night (thus the name), in areas that
are hunted by other herons and egrets during the day. They can take some amazingly large
fish for their size. They have bright red eyes as adults (the juveniles have amber eyes that turn
red before they become adults). Adults have black crowns and backs with white faces and
breasts, and the juveniles are streaked brown and grayish-white all over their bodies.

Black-Crowned Night Heron Sunset Flight HS6925

As previously mentioned, it is quite rare to see a Black-Crowned Night Heron in daylight flight.
In the image above and several images below are scenes of a Heron in flight at sunset, taken at
Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in January, just as the lowering sun was settling down on the horizon.

Black-Crowned Night Heron Sunset Flight HS6936

Black-Crowned Night Heron Sunset Flight HS6937

The two images above and the two below are from Flight Study composites which were taken 10 minutes apart.
The consecutive images above were taken with the sun just above the horizon. 1/8 second separates the images.
The two below are the first and last images in Flight Study 2 (XL), taken 0.4 sec. apart with the sun on the horizon.

Black-Crowned Night Heron Sunset Flight HS7125

Black-Crowned Night Heron Sunset Flight HS7128

Black-Crowned Night Heron Sunset Flight Study XL

A 2000 x 570 version of the XL Flight Study Composite (5000 x 1325) showing
a Black-Crowned Night Heron in flight at sunset over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

This flight study composite shows four different wing positions, taken as the
long rays of the lowering sun painted the Heron in a beautiful reddish-gold light.
There is also a six image, SXL version of this flight study available (7500 x 1725).

Black-Crowned Night Heron Sunset Flight Study 2 XL

A 2000 x 570 version of the XL Flight Study 2 Composite (5000 x 1325) showing
the Black-Crowned Night Heron in flight at sunset over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

The images for this composite were taken 10 minutes later, with the sun on the horizon.
Due to the lower light, I pushed the exposure to bring out wing detail, thus the lighter sky.
There is also an eight image, XXL version of this flight study available (10000 x 1925).

Black-Crowned Night Herons are detailed in the Egrets and Herons Wildlife Study.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Select a type of bird from the 24 Galleries and Collections

Great Blue Heron Flight 0878

A close-portrait of a Great Blue Heron in flight, taken at Bosque del Apache on a cold December morning.
The Great Blue Heron, like many Egrets and Herons, bends its neck in flight to tuck its head in close to the body.

The largest North American heron, the Great Blue is in my experience a skittish bird
that flies the moment it sees you, although those in Southern Florida are far more used to
the presence of people. They occupy wetland areas, marshes, swamps and shorelines and
are prolific hunters of fish, although they also eat insects, rodents, amphibians and small birds.
They are blue-gray, with a dark gray to black streak on either side of the crown stripe, which
is gray to white. They have a streaked breast and neck and a light gray face, a very heavy
yellow bill with a straight upper edge, and long dark-gray legs. Mature birds grow long
plumes at the base of their neck and on the lower back in the breeding season.

Great Blue Herons are detailed in the Egrets and Herons Wildlife Study, on the Blue Herons page.

Great Egret Flight X4592

A Great Egret in flight over the Main Canal at Bolsa Chica wetlands, with a very attractive wing position.

The Great Egret stands about three feet tall (a little smaller than the Great Blue Heron), has a slightly down-curved bill,
all white plumage and grayish-black legs. The white morph of the Great Blue Heron in Southern Florida is sometimes
confused with the Great Egret, but it has a heavier bill that is straight on top and yellowish legs. The Great Egret is an
elegant bird which can be a challenge to expose in many situations, but it looks quite spectacular in flight. Like many
Egrets and Herons, Great Egrets take off with their neck extended and fly with their neck retracted in an S-shape.

Great Egret Flight X4593

This is my favorite Great Egret flight shot. I love the wing position and detail.
This is the image I use for the copyright and contact clip on the Wildlife pages.

More images are in the Egrets and Herons Wildlife Study and on the Bolsa Chica Egrets page.

Snowy Egret Hunting X5442

Note the interesting reflection pattern underneath the wing of this Snowy Egret striking in flight.

This Snowy Egret displayed an unusual foraging technique, unique in my experience. It flew slowly
over the water, nearly hovering, and struck its prey while in flight in a technique known as “dip-fishing”.

Snowy Egret Hunting X5456

A Snowy Egret hovers over the water in a spectacular foraging technique.
More of the Snowy Egret dip-fishing images are in the Snowy Egret study.

The Snowy Egret is a medium-sized Heron with white plumage, a gray-black bill,
yellow eyes and lores (bare skin between the eyes and the upper base of the bill),
black, yellow-green, or black-and-yellow-green legs, and yellow or yellow-green feet.
Mature birds have black legs, younger birds have black-and-yellow-green legs. In the
breeding season they grow long white plumes and the feet and lores turn a red-gold.

Snowy Egret Sunset Flight HS6188

A Snowy Egret floats across Ballona Creek in absolutely magnificent light at sunset.

More images are shown in the Egrets and Herons Wildlife Study, Snowy Egret page
and in the Bolsa Chica, Sanibel Island, Florida and Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge sections.

Roseate Spoonbill Flight 9911-9916

A 2250 x 675 version of the SXXL Flight Study Composite (7500 x 2100) showing
several wing positions of a Roseate Spoonbill in flight over Sanibel Island, Florida.

The Roseate Spoonbill is a wading bird in the Ibis and Spoonbill family. In the USA,
it resides on the Gulf Coast. The Roseate Spoonbill gets its pink color from its diet,
like the Flamingo. It eats crustaceans, aquatic insects, frogs, newts and small fish.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Select a type of bird from the 24 Galleries and Collections

Black-Necked Stilt Flight 0424

A Black-Necked Stilt in flight at the LA River. The Black-Necked Stilt is a shorebird with long pink legs
and a long, thin upturned black bill which frequents wetlands and coastlines of North and South America.
They are all white below, and have a continuous area of black from the crown down the neck to the back.
They have white eyebrows and red eyes. Males have a greenish gloss to the back in breeding season.
They use their long bill to probe in mudflats and in shallow water for invertebrates and crustaceans.

Black-Necked Stilt Flight 0427

Black-Necked Stilt Flight 0562

Black-Necked Stilts preparing to land at the LA River. More images can be seen in the Bolsa Chica section.

Stilt Hurdles 4986

Shot during the qualifying heats for the Stilt Olympics at the LA River, this image shows
the winner of the third heat displaying his winning form as he approaches the finish line.

Least Sandpipers HS6060

A group of Least Sandpipers flies in to join some Black-Bellied Plovers on the rocks beside Ballona Creek.

Least Sandpipers are the smallest of the shorebirds. They flock in groups of dozens to a few
hundred (as opposed to the thousands that their larger cousins prefer). They feed on insects
in grassy areas, and crustaceans, mollusks and marine worms on mud flats and shorelines.

More images of Least Sandpipers in flight and other shorebirds are displayed in the Bolsa Chica section.

Willet Flight HS5912 M

A Willet in flight, reflected in the calm waters of Ballona Creek. In case you can’t figure out what the splash
came from, the Willet lightened the load just before I took this shot. More on the Bolsa Chica Shorebirds page.

Cormorant Flight Study 1007-12 XXL
(3000 x 600 composite)

A 33% reduction of the XXL Flight Study Composite (9300 x 1725) showing six consecutive
 images of a Double-Crested Cormorant in flight at sunset, taken at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Capturing a properly-exposed image of a Cormorant in flight at sunset is challenging, as the bill and
the bare skin of the lores and gular pouch tend to overexpose easily. It is also difficult to achieve sharp
 focus on the eye and to track the eye in flight, as Cormorants fly past very rapidly. When everything comes
together perfectly, the result is a rare, properly-exposed and sharp flight sequence as in the image above.

The Double-Crested Cormorant is a large stocky seabird with a long neck, webbed feet and a hooked bill.
Adult birds have dark bodies with yellow or orange lores and gular skin (bare skin in front of the eyes and
connecting the lower mandible to the neck). Juveniles have white or tan chests and necks. In breeding
plumage, the facial skin becomes bright orange, turquoise spots appear around the green eye, and
some birds grow the long white feathery nuptial crests which gave this species its common name.

Cormorant Flight X5499

A Double-Crested Cormorant soars over the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in September.

Cormorant Flight X5086 M

A Double-Crested Cormorant in flight, late in the afternoon in September.

The dark blue-green waters of the pond make this shot extremely difficult.
The only way to successfully gain a focus lock and track the bird is to lock
onto the bill or the yellow facial skin and keep the reticle on the spot while
panning with the fast-moving bird as it blazes by you at the speed of light.

Cormorant Flight X5508

An absolutely perfect shot of a Cormorant in flight at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge. Note the bright green eye.

Shooting Cormorants in flight can be unbelievably challenging. They fly very quickly, and the normal
technique of acquiring a focus lock by placing the focusing reticle on the head or wing root do not work
very well, as there is not much contrast for the camera to lock onto. If the head (and eye) is not in focus,
the image has little or no value. The best method is to lock on an area where the head meets the sky,
but the bird flies so quickly that often it has flown through the depth of field of a long telephoto lens
during the time the shutter is open. It is more difficult when the cormorant is flying towards you,
rather than across the field of view, and locking focus is difficult against a dark background.

Cormorant Takeoff X5100

A Double-Crested Cormorant thrusts off of the water during a takeoff at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.
Cormorants often have to hop on the water using their webbed feet while gaining takeoff speed.

Achieving an accurate exposure of a cormorant against a dark background can be quite challenging. The bill
is easily overexposed, and underexposing to protect the bill risks loss of feather detail and color saturation.

More images of Cormorants in flight (and portraits) are in the Cormorant Wildlife Study,
on the Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge page, and in the Bolsa Chica and Florida sections.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Select a type of bird from the 24 Galleries and Collections

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk XL

A composite image showing the upper and lower body and wings of a Dark morph Red-Tailed Hawk
over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. Note the dark body, central wing and shoulder.
The upper side of the tail feathers of all Red-Tails are brick red, the underside of the tail is red-orange.
More images and flight study composites of Dark morph Red-Tails are in the Raptors Wildlife Study.

One of the most widely-known of the Raptors (birds of prey) is the Red-Tailed Hawk.
While they are relatively common, they are often hundreds of feet in the air, and a
majority of flight shots show the bird as a distant speck, even with long lenses.

Many of these shots were taken at 700-850 mm, although the composite was taken at 420 mm.

Red-Tailed Hawk 5639

Red-Tailed Hawk X9047

Intermediate morph Red-Tailed Hawks in flight over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Red-Tailed Hawks have three variations (or morphs), the Light, Intermediate and Dark morphs.
The differences in the morphs are based upon the belly, shoulder and central wing markings and
the body color. Light and Intermediate morphs have buff to orange dark-streaked bodies and a
dark patch at the shoulder. The body streaks on the Light morph are very light (image below),
and shoulder markings can be narrower. The Dark morph has a dark body and central wing.

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile X2805

An Intermediate Rufous morph juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk. This shot was taken at the Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Harlan’s Red-Tail Light Morph Juvenile 0708c

A Light morph juvenile Harlan’s Red-Tailed Hawk in flight over Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming.

Juvenile Red-Tailed Hawks have pale, barred tails rather than the distinctive red tail. The juveniles above
are similar in appearance, but the white throat, overall pale character and the dark brown markings with no
reddish tones of the bird at right identify it as a Light morph Harlan’s Hawk, a rare type from the Northern US.

Similar in appearance to Light morph Red-Tailed Hawks, but with reddish-brown plumage,
wider, darker and more pronounced patagial (leading edge) wing and belly band markings,
the Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawk is often said to include all Intermediate morphs. Since
there are Intermediate morph Red-Tails which have brown plumage without a reddish cast,
and there are Rufous morph Red-Tails which are obviously Dark morph, I and some others
consider Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawks to include those which have the reddish cast
to their plumage, and Intermediate as a description of darker Light morph individuals.

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile 4292

A Dark juvenile Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawk carrying two sticks over Newport Back Bay.

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile 4296

A Dark juvenile Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawk, now carrying one stick over Newport Back Bay.
Note the uniformly dark rufous body, with the mottled feathers and the barred tail of the juvenile Red-Tail.

More flight shots and portraits of this hawk can be seen in the Raptors Study and the Bolsa Chica section.

Juvenile Southwestern Red Tail X7518-19

Upper wing detail of a Light-Intermediate morph juvenile Southwestern Red-Tail at sunset.

Juvenile Southwestern Red Tail X7501 M

Light-Intermediate morph juvenile Southwestern Red-Tail over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge at sunset.
Note the sparser shoulder and central wing markings compared to Intermediate morph hawks above.

Many more images of Hawks and other Raptors are in the Raptors Wildlife Study, the Bolsa Chica and
Florida sections, the Bosque del Apache and Alaska sections, and the Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge page.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Select a type of bird from the 24 Galleries and Collections

Northern Harrier 3207

An adult female Northern Harrier, or Marsh Hawk, in flight over the Main Canal at Bolsa Chica.
One of few raptors in which the sexes look very different, males are white below and gray above.
They primarily hunt for small rodents (squirrels, mice and voles). Males sometimes take small birds.
Harriers use both their eyes and ears to find prey, and they have very good hearing, enhanced by
their owl-like facial disc and the stiff feathers of their face, which transmit sound. Harriers have
been known to take ducks and rabbits, which they then drown by holding them underwater.

Harrier Hunting 5117

A Northern Harrier female hunting over a field at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Harrier Hunting 5130 M

Northern Harriers can hover over a suspected rodent, listening for the skittering sound.
It is a truly calm and unusual rodent who can stay hidden while a Harrier is hovering overhead.

Harrier Hunting 5132

Harrier Hunting 5134 M

An adult female Northern Harrier stooping on a small rodent at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in December. This was a part of a hunting sequence taken in the late afternoon.

A 12-image XXL composite (6015 x 3400) is available of this hunting sequence. More images of Northern Harriers and a preview version of the Hunting Sequence composite can be seen on the Raptors Wildlife Study and in the Bolsa Chica and Bosque del Apache sections.

Osprey 0403

An Osprey hunting over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge. The Osprey is a large fish-hawk, which dives on its
prey and carries it to a nearby tree. The Osprey is unusual in that it has a single species living worldwide
 (even the four subspecies are extremely similar). Its toes are of equal length, and like the Owl it is able
to reverse the outer toes to grasp prey with two toes in front and two toes behind for a more secure
grip. Ospreys also have barbed pads on their feet to help them grip their slippery, wriggling prey.

More Osprey are in the Raptors Study and the Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge and Florida sections.

White-Tailed Kite Pointillism X3079

A White-Tailed Kite shot at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge, soft-focused to create an Impressionistic effect.

White-Tailed Kites are small birds of prey which were nearly hunted to extinction in North America by
farmers who thought they threatened chickens, although Kites mostly eat rodents, lizards and insects.
They have made a comeback in California and Texas, although they are rare outside of a few areas.
Mature birds are mostly white, with dark gray wingtips and shoulders. Juveniles have a russet-brown
collar and streaks on their breast. They typically patrol over marshes, scrub and grasslands looking
for rodents, and can often be seen hovering over an area when they see something of interest.

White-Tailed Kites Ethereal Fly-by X3015

White-Tailed Kite Fly-by HS6888c

A mated pair of White-Tailed Kites shot in the morning and near sunset at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.
This particular female seems to enjoy annoying the male by performing a close fly-by. Note the red eyes.

White-Tailed Kite Hovering Sequence SXL

A 1500 x 1190 version of the SXL composite (3610 x 2769) showing a hovering flight sequence.

White-Tailed Kites dangle their feet in flight while hunting, although they retract them for level flight.
While hunting, they exhibit a graceful, buoyant hovering flight. The toy kite was named for these birds.

More White-Tailed Kites can be seen in the Raptors Wildlife Study.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Select a type of bird from the 24 Galleries and Collections

Raven Overflight 1781

A Raven flying low overhead atop Mammoth Mountain in the Sierras.
The air is thin at 11,000 feet, and the winds allowed the Raven to soar.
Achieving a sharply-focused, properly exposed shot of a Raven in flight
which reveals feather detail without overexposing the sky is challenging.

Puffin Flight HS2572

A Horned Puffin flying into Duck Island, a small rocky isle in Cook Inlet off the coast of the
Alaska Peninsula, near Lake Clark National Park and the stratovolcano Mount Redoubt.

Puffins are like little flying footballs. They fly very quickly, and it is difficult to get a clean shot
of a head-on approach as they travel through the depth of field of a telephoto lens rapidly.

Horned Puffins are small pelagic auks which dive for fish and marine invertebrates.
These clowns of the bird world are all white below with a black crown, collar and back.
This countershading makes it difficult for predators to see them from above or below as
they blend into the dark water when seen from above and the bright sunlit water from below.
They have a small black “horn” above the eye and a colorful red-tipped orange bill which
is specially adapted for carrying multiple fish (they typically fly in carrying 10-20 fish,
although one record-setting bird was observed carrying over 60 fish). The bright
bill ornament is shed in the winter and regrown for the breeding season.

Puffin with Fish HS2680 M

A Horned Puffin flying in for a landing on Duck Island with several fish held in its colorful bill.

The Horned Puffin has a tongue with sharp projections which it uses to hold the fish against a
double row of backward-facing spines on the roof of its mouth. On average they carry 10 fish.

Horned Puffin Landing HS2377-79-81

A Horned Puffin comes in for a landing near his colleagues on Duck Island in Cook Inlet, Alaska.

The Horned Puffin has legs which are placed well back on its body. This makes for awkward landings,
but allows it to be an excellent swimmer which can dive up to 80 feet while searching for fish and squid.

There is a 10-image XXL composite (5015 x 4310) of this landing available.
Click the link at right for a 1500 x 995 preview of the XXL composite.

A detailed presentation of Puffins is in the Alaska section.

Elegant Tern with Spitting Fish HS5471

Speaking of seabirds carrying fish in their bill... here is a juvenile Elegant Tern carrying a spitting fish.
This image and the twisting flight shots below were taken at Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge in the spring.

The Elegant Tern is a medium to large seabird which feeds by plunging into the ocean for fish.

Elegant Tern Twist HS4901

An Elegant Tern shaking off water after a takeoff. Shots like these are exceedingly difficult to capture.
The bird typically performs its antics for less than a second, and even if you are already focused on the bird,
you have to react quickly to get the shot (often you see it happen on another bird out of the corner of your eye).

Elegant Tern Twist HS5648 M

This is a variation on the “Exorcist Twist”, but this bird has not yet mastered the move.
Diagonally-opposed wings counterbalance the twist, but a true master keeps them level.

There is an entire page detailing Terns and their flight antics in the Bolsa Chica section, Terns page.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Select a type of bird from the 24 Galleries and Collections

Brown Pelican Flight HS9846

A Brown Pelican in flight, taken head-on at Ballona Creek in Southern California.

The Brown Pelican is very efficient at soaring on its wide wings (6 to 8 foot wingspan).

Brown Pelican Flight Study XXL

A 3000 x 440 version of the XXL Flight Study Composite (14000 x 1750) showing the Brown Pelican
displayed in the previous image as he makes a slow left turn past the photographer at Ballona Creek.

The XXL Composite makes a spectacular 5 foot wide panoramic print.

Brown Pelicans can easily fly through the depth of field of a long telephoto lens, as the closing speed
can be high. Unless you maintain a focus lock where the wing meets the sky, the lack of contrast on the
body and head makes it difficult to track focus, and maintaining a focus lock through a sequence is rare.

Each of these images are available separately, and several can be seen in the Bolsa Chica section.

Brown Pelican Flight Study SXL

A 2250 x 990 version of the SXL Flight Study Composite (4288 x 1835) showing
several wing positions of a Brown Pelican in flight over Sanibel Island, Florida.

Brown Pelican Hunting Sunrise 1335-37 M

A composite image of a Brown Pelican in a hunting dive off Sanibel Island, Florida.

The Brown Pelican is one of three pelican species in the Western Hemisphere, and one
of only two Pelicans which feeds by diving into the water. It is the smallest of the Pelicans.
A Brown Pelican flies over a school of fish and dives to gather them in its large gular pouch.
The only other Pelican to do this is the Peruvian Pelican, a near-threatened species which was
previously considered to be a subspecies of the Brown Pelican, but it is larger and twice its bulk.

Pelican Takeoff 0151

A White Pelican takes off in front of dark reeds at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

This mid-day takeoff is without a doubt among the most challenging sorts of action
sequences possible. The bird is going from areas of dark background to mid-tone
backgrounds and back again, and the subject is bright white in the morning sunlight.

Pelican Takeoff 0160

The American White Pelican differs from the Great White Pelican of Europe, Africa and Asia in that it has
black primary and secondary feathers, which are visible only in flight. Along with the Trumpeter Swan, the
White Pelican is the longest bird native to North America, and has the second longest wing span after the
California Condor. In breeding season, they grow a horn on their long bill, the only pelican which does this.
White Pelicans prefer to feed in groups by herding fish towards each other and feeding from the surface.

A 9 image SXXL Composite (7412 x 5100) is available of this takeoff (click for a 1744 x 1200 preview).

Pelicans Sunset Landing X5629

White Pelican Sunset X5634

White Pelicans coming in for a sunset landing at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

White Pelican Sunset X5633

A close flight portrait of a White Pelican at sunset, taken at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Other images of Brown and White Pelicans can be found in the Pelicans Wildlife Study,
and in the Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge, Bolsa Chica, and Sanibel Island Florida sections.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
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Canada Geese Sunset Flight 1132

Canada Geese in flight at sunset over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Ladd Gordon Snow Geese at Sunset HS8379

A formation of Snow Geese in front of a pink cloud at sunset over the
Ladd Gordon Waterfowl Complex, 50 miles north of Bosque del Apache.

Bosque del Apache Dawn Flyout X8726

The dramatic spectacle of the Dawn Flyout of the Snow Geese at Bosque del Apache Refuge,
taken at 1/10 of a second to give the Geese a surrealistic appearance by blurring their shape.

Bosque del Apache Dawn Flyout 2232

An overcast dawn sky filled with thousands of Snow Geese flying out to the fields.

The morning flyout of the Snow Geese is one of Nature’s most spectacular scenes.
Tens of thousands of Snow Geese fill the sky in an instantaneous burst of flight. A group
of geese take off at nearly the same moment, flying within inches of each other, and as the
madly honking gaggle of geese fly over each pool, they set off the group of geese below.
This shot captures a gaggle of geese flying over a group of geese in the pool below,
just before that group breaks into flight to join them in their trip to the corn fields.

Bosque del Apache Dawn Flyout 2735

Another dawn at Bosque del Apache, with Snow Geese flying over the pond as
the line of Sandhill Cranes in the distance prepare for their own flyout. This image
was taken at 1/180 second to render the Snow Geese sharply against the sky.

Snow Geese Flyout Frenzy 2316 M

A frenzied gaggle of Snow Geese takes off en-masse for the farm fields at Bosque del Apache.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
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Snow Goose Flight Study 4103-05 SXL

A 1500 x 930 version of the SXL Flight Study composite (4288 x 2550) showing
a single Snow Goose flying at sunrise, displaying three different wing positions.

Snow Geese Morning Flight X0890

Snow Geese flying to the farm fields at Bosque del Apache about an hour after sunrise.

Ross's Geese in Flight 2240

Ross’s Geese in a mid-afternoon flight over the farm fields. Note the lack of black “lips” between the upper and lowe bill.

Snow Geese and Ross’s Geese flock together at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.
Both the white morph Snow Goose and the Ross’s Goose are all white, with their primary feathers and
at least a part of their secondary feathers being black, but the Ross’s Geese are smaller and lack the
black tomia (cutting edges) which give Snow Geese the dark grin patch which are often called “lips”.

Snow Geese have two color phases: the White morph shown here and the dark phase (Blue morph).
Images of Blue morphs in flight and with White morph geese are in the Bosque del Apache section.

Ross's Goose in Flight 2989

A Ross’s Goose in flight in the mid-afternoon at Bosque del Apache. Note the lack of black “lips”.

Snow Goose at Sunrise 3696

An unusual high contrast flight portrait of a Snow Goose at sunrise with storm clouds in the background.
The wide black tomia (cutting edge) of the bill is prominent. These are the black “lips” of the Snow Goose.

Snow Goose in Flight X0866

A Snow Goose in flight early on a thinly overcast morning at Bosque del Apache.

Ross’s Geese in Flight X3798

A group of Ross’s Geese in flight in the late morning over the farm fields at Bosque del Apache.

Snow Geese Moon X4031

A group of Snow Geese soaring past the Moon, early in the evening before sunset at Bosque del Apache.

A detailed presentation of Snow Geese is in the Bosque del Apache section.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

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Sandhill Crane Takeoff 5816 M

A Sandhill Crane leaves the Crane Pool at Bosque del Apache for its flight to the farm fields.

Named for the sand hills of the Platte River area where most North American migratory
individuals gather to rest before heading to their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska,
the Sandhill Cranes are the oldest known birds still in existence (a fossil skeleton identical in
structure to the modern Sandhill Crane was found in Nebraska and was dated to 10 million
years). This fossil is most likely from a direct ancestor to the Sandhill Crane. The oldest
fossil that is without doubt from a Sandhill Crane was dated to 2.5 million years ago,
which is 1.5 times older than the earliest remains from most living bird species.

Sandhill Crane Morning Flyout HS0724

A Sandhill Crane displays an exquisite wing position as he flies out to the farm fields in January.

Sandhill Cranes are large birds, 3.5 to 4.5 feet tall, with red facial skin, forehead and
crown, and gray feathers into which they sometimes preen iron-rich mud, turning them
a reddish-brown color. They are the most abundant of cranes, with a wide distribution in
North America, Cuba and Northeastern Siberia. Three migratory sub-species winter in the
southern US and northern Mexico, and three non-migratory sub-species live in Mississippi,
Cuba and Florida. The migratory species breed in the northern US, Canada and Siberia.

Sandhill Crane Morning Flyout HS0729

A Sandhill Crane is isolated against a background of his defocused fellows as
he flies out to the farm fields at Bosque del Apache on a cold January morning.

Sandhill Crane Flyout X8929

A side profile shot taken as a Sandhill Crane leaves the Crane Pool on a December morning.

Sandhill Cranes Thermal Glide 6933 M

A group of Sandhill Cranes perform an elegant ballet, gliding and twisting on a thermal updraft
on their way to a landing on the Main Pond, just to the left of the Flight Deck at sunset in February.

Sandhill Crane Sunset Landing 5791 M

A Sandhill Crane comes in for a “full-parachute” landing, taken from the perfect frontal angle at sunset.

Sandhill Cranes are detailed in the Sandhill Crane Wildlife Study and the Bosque del Apache section.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Birds Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Select a type of bird from the 24 Galleries and Collections