There are very few places as good as Bosque del Apache to photograph birds in flight. There is rarely a time of day anywhere in the refuge were there are not Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes in the air. If you stop anywhere on the tour loupe where the birds are on the ground, and just stand and wait you will be treated to excellent, and often intimate, views of the birds coming in and going out.

This Sandhill Crane was on its way in. I picked it up a ways out and followed it in. The camera was in Sports Mode so it locked focus on the bird and followed. I got off a burst of 10 shots just as the Crane passed close overhead. At 1200mm of equivalent reach, I could reach right out and practically touch the bird…but it was not easy keeping any portion of the big bird in the frame.  I found two keepers in the sequence.

Canon SX50HS in Sports Mode. 1200mm equivalent field of view. f6.5 @ 1/1000th @ ISO 400. Processed in Lightroom for intensity, clarity, and sharpness.