Zooming a long telephoto lens while tracking a flying bird is like simultaneously patting your head and rubbing your tummy—it can be done but requires a lot of practice.
Yesterday as I was observing a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) on the far side of a small pond, he unexpectedly took off. The heron flew towards me initially and then veered off to the side. My 150-600mm lens was fully extended at the start and as the bird approached, I frantically tried to zoom out a little. The EXIF data indicate that I was at 552mm when I took this shot and I just barely managed to keep the heron in the frame—I didn’t crop this image at all.
I’ve often been told to fill the frame with the main subject and this is one of the few times when I have been able to do so with a bird.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Excellent shot, I had the dame problem.. 🙂
Ed, I don’t know if you wanted to give away details about your personal life by commenting that you have “the dame problem.” You might have meant “the same problem,” but both responses cause me to smile.
Nope, my girlfriend at the time kept making me miss the shot.. 😉
Love that photo.
Thanks, Stuart. I am always a little surprised when my birds in flight shots some out well–there are so many variables over which I have not control, like the position of the wings.
Panning in general can be challenging. Using a long focal length compounds the challenge. This isn’t an argument for more megapixels is better, however, if you have lots, you don’t necessarily have to fill the frame as much depending on the desired use of the photo (crop/print considerations). Nice shot.
It’s nice of the birds to keep giving you opportunities to practice!
Nice capture, Mike; I can just picture you frantically adjusting the lens to take this beautiful shot. Chris
I am not very used to the idea of having to zoom out while I am tracking a bird, so it wasn’t quite as frantic as you imagine. Most of my actions were aimed at trying to keep the bird centered in the viewfinder. Much of the past few months I used a fixed focal length macro lens and I have to consciously remember now that I have zoom capability.
The action you captured in your photo is just stunning. A pretty amazing photo.
Thanks, Charlie. It was primarily a case of being in the right place at the right time, though having the proper equipment helped too.
Great photo, Mike!! 🙂
Thanks, Judy. I remember you talking about the joys of having a longer zoom lens and am learning myself how nice it can be.
Nice shot! It does illustrate the advantage of being able to zoom.
Well captured.
Thank, Marie. It’s always an adventure for me trying to capture birds in flight.
Fantastic shot! It’s so difficult to find the bird with so much telephoto engaged, and then to track it on flight!! Well done.
Thanks, Sue. I was fortunate that I was focused on the heron on the ground and was able to track it as it took off. Catching one in mid-air when I first catch sight of it is really tough.