So, to do this justice, you need to click the image and open it full screen in the lightbox viewer (or click here). The sky was dull overcast yesterday at Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center, but when I saw this White-tailed Kite “kiting” out over the tropics section of the center (the former trailer park), I had to try. The Canon SX50HS has a much improved Sports mode, and I got of two bursts of 10 rapid sequence shots. The best part of the mode is that the auto focus seems to be tuned for moving subjects…and picks up birds in flight very well.

Of course the Kite is an ideal subject, as it hovers in one spot while hunting. And at least yesterday it was  hovering not kiting…its wings were in constant motion to hold it in one place.

Canon SX50HS in Sports Mode.  1200mm equivalent field of view.  f6.5 @ 1/1250th @ ISO 250. Processed in Lightroom for intensity, clarity, and sharpness.  Cropped for image scale (in Lr) and pasted up in PhotoShop Elements.