![\"northern](\"http:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/northern-harrier-1003-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nImages of birds banking in flight can be quite striking because the flight postures with wings fully extended and the tail spread (in order to catch as much air as possible for the turn)\u00a0allow a good look at the entire underside or topside\u00a0of the bird.<\/p>\n
But they’re very\u00a0difficult shots to get because as soon as the bank begins the bird has abruptly changed direction which makes them difficult to track while maintaining focus.\u00a0 It’s easier when they’re further away but then you\u00a0don’t get very good detail – the closer they are the more\u00a0challenging the shot becomes.<\/p>\n
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\u00a01\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n I caught this adult female in a banking pose\u00a0three days ago in the late afternoon (unusual for me, typically I only shoot in the early mornings).\u00a0 With the sun low on the horizon, this posture gave me good light on the underside of the harrier.\u00a0 Birds tend to keep their heads level as they bank which often allows the photographer to get good eye contact in spite of the steep angle of the body.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Even when I do manage to lock on to a banking bird, maintain focus and not clip any body parts, I usually only get one successful shot (if I’m lucky).\u00a0 But two days ago I got three of the same harrier in the same banking turn.\u00a0\u00a0 This bird was making a sharp turn to come back and challenge another harrier on the\u00a0ground with prey.\u00a0 This is my favorite shot of the three.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0In the next frame the harrier has retracted its wings a bit but since more of the turn has been made there’s slightly better eye contact.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0Two frames later the bird has almost completed the turn and is beginning to level out and descend on its rival.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/2500, f\/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Then yesterday I was able to get this female in a slow bank as she cruised by checking me out.\u00a0 The lower background is a stand of\u00a0Phragmites covered with a heavy layer of hoarfrost.<\/p>\n I love this time of year – it’s “harrier heaven”.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Images of birds banking in flight can be quite striking because the flight postures with wings fully extended and the tail spread (in order to catch as much air as possible for the turn)\u00a0allow a good look at the entire underside or topside\u00a0of the bird. But they’re very\u00a0difficult shots to get because as soon as the bank begins the bird has abruptly changed direction which makes them difficult to track while maintaining focus.\u00a0 It’s easier when they’re further away but then you\u00a0don’t get very good detail – the closer they are the more\u00a0challenging the shot becomes. \u00a01\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in I caught this adult female in a banking pose\u00a0three days ago in the late afternoon (unusual for me, typically I only shoot in the early mornings).\u00a0 With the sun low on the horizon, this posture gave me good light on the underside of the harrier.\u00a0 Birds tend to keep their heads level as they bank which often allows the photographer to get good eye contact in spite of the steep angle of the body. \u00a01\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in Even when I do manage to lock on to a banking bird, maintain focus and not clip any body parts, I usually only get one successful shot (if I’m lucky).\u00a0 But two days ago I got three of the same harrier in the same banking turn.\u00a0\u00a0 This bird…<\/p>\n![\"northern](\"http:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/northern-harrier-1400-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"northern](\"http:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/northern-harrier-1403-ron-dudley.jpg\")
\u00a01\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n![\"northern](\"http:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/northern-harrier-1709b-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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