birds of prey

These pictures are all from a flight show at the wildlife preserve in Hellenthal in the Eifel area, Germany. I probably should go there again for some more photos and with a little bit of extra experience and a bit nicer equipment.

Well, let's talk about the owls! These two look so fluffy, almost cute. But they looked much fiercer flying.

Taking photos of flying birds feels like one of the most difficult technical challenges in wildlife photography. Acquiring within limited time, following the bird as it moves and hoping the camera's auto focus doesn't jump to the nice contrasty trees in the background. Also, the shutter needs to be fast. This one was 1/1600 s.

But! These birds are relatively large and heavy. Not changing direction as often and fast as some songbirds. Also, like this bald eagle, during the show they had clear goals from their trainers, making their flight path much more predictable than in the wild.

I could even get this diving hawk, at 1/2000 s, also showing how beautiful back lit feathers can be.

The funniest bird that day was this young vulture, though. Despite its age, already one of the largest birds. It wasn't really in the mood for flying, but showed off how quick it could get its treats by running.

Cheeky!