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<\/p>\nYesterday morning I learned something about hummingbirds. Maybe I’ll start trying to get hummingbird takeoff shots again. It’s been a while.<\/p>\n
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Now this is what I call a takeoff shot<\/i>.<\/p>\n
The Red-tailed Hawk is putting some real effort into becoming airborne. It’s reaching with its entire body in the direction it’s taking off, it’s pushing off mightily with its legs and it’s actually looking in the direction it intends to fly.<\/p>\n
This is a type of dynamic takeoff shot that I think most viewers find interesting, even fascinating. Takeoff postures like this are in part a function of size but only<\/em> in part. For complicated reasons related to physics, inertia and aerodynamics large, heavy birds tend to have more difficulty becoming airborne so they really have to work at it and as a result their takeoffs tend to be visually interesting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n To a lesser degree songbirds like this Horned Lark have to work hard at gaining flight so they have interesting takeoffs too.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n So do smaller songbirds like this Yellow Warbler.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even the smallest of songbirds like this Ruby-crowned KInglet often push off with their legs as part of a dynamic takeoff.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But hummingbirds are an exception. When they take off they generally look like they’re putting little to no effort into it. Their wings begin to whir and they simply lift off from their perch as if a mechanical crane or an invisible catapult has launched them into the air. Only their wings seem to be doing any work – the rest of their body just hangs from them and enjoys the ride. They don’t seem to push off with their legs or reach in the direction of takeoff with their body.<\/p>\n There are three reasons that I’m aware of that explain why hummingbird takeoffs are less interesting visually:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As a result I gave up making extra effort to photograph them at takeoff years ago because hummer takeoff shots tend to look like any other hummer flight shot – they’re just closer to their recent perch than usual. Hell, I don’t even have an older example of a hummer takeoff shot to include here to document my claim. I just don’t take them, unless by accident.<\/p>\n But yesterday in the mountains I accidentally photographed a Broad-tailed Hummingbird at takeoff that has me rethinking my position.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n It isn’t a very good shot because she took off away from me and she’s a little soft.<\/p>\n But this is the first time I remember photographing a hummer at takeoff where the bird actually looked like it was putting some effort into it, other than its wings. She’s pushing off as best she can with her stubby little legs, her body appears to be straining in the direction of takeoff and she’s even looking in that direction instead of somewhere else.<\/p>\n If I had a 90\u00b0 shooting angle on her or I was shooting from slightly in front of her I think this could have been a pretty interesting takeoff shot, at least for a hummingbird. They probably do this more often than I think they do, I just haven’t been paying attention.<\/p>\n So yes, I learned something about hummingbirds yesterday and now I may try more often to get them at takeoff.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For many of my readers all this is much ado about nothing I’m sure. Bird photographers addicted to takeoff shots are about the only folks who would care about such things.<\/p>\n But I am so I do.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Yesterday morning I learned something about hummingbirds. Maybe I’ll start trying to get hummingbird takeoff shots again. It’s been a while.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/horned-lark-3892b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"horned-lark-3892b-ron-dudley\\"")
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