Since action shot possibilities are limited when using a camera behind the eyepiece of a spotting scope for bird images (digiscoping: you are working from a tripod, always, and focus is not quick or reliable enough for flight shots in most situations), the wing shot is, so to speak, the pinnacle of digiscoped action photography. Digiscopers learn to anticipate when a preening bird is about to stretch a wing. Or they try to.

This shot was taken on a dreary, overcast morning, so, while the light was favorable for molding, it was not great for action. Feeding and preening Yellowlegs, ideally, require more light. I did have the advantage of today’s Back-illuminated CMOS sensors, and was able to set the camera for a burst of up to 7 shots at 8 frames per second. This is one of 5 shots…and all show the stretched wing…the first just reaching full stretch and the last just coming off it.

I like the water in these shots as well as the bird.

Nikon P300 behind the 15-56x Vario Eyepiece on the ZEISS DiaScope 65FL for the equivalent field of view of about a 2000mm lens, 1/160th @ ISO 160. f5.5 effective. Programmed Auto.

Processed in Lightroom for Clarity and Sharpness.