This article discusses doing bird photography after 10 o’clock in the morning… which is not considered to be an ideal time of day. Birds are most active earlier in the morning and later in the afternoon.
My schedule has been a bit crazy lately, so I try to fit in some field practice when I can. I ended up arriving at Hendrie Valley just as some other photographers were leaving. The good news was that I was able to get a parking spot. 🙂
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge. To view this article in a variety of different languages click on the Canadian flag in the upper right corner.
The objective of this posting is to share some practice images with readers. A secondary goal is to encourage folks to go out and enjoy the fresh air and bird life… even if the timing is not ideal. Mother Nature has a way of giving us some photographic opportunities.
The terns have arrived at Hendrie which gave me a chance to capture a few images of them in flight with pleasing wing and tail feather positions.
There were a couple of terns fishing which provided some different practice options like photographing birds flying by with their catch.
My favourite tern images are when the birds are leaving the water with a fish after a dive… or juggling their catch in mid-air.
And of course, there were a number of Canada geese on the ponds.
I had an opportunity to capture decent image run of a Canada goose taking flight… as it ran over the surface of the water.
Getting some images of them fully airborne provides some additional composition practice.
A number of cormorants were in the area, with many in-flight.
I was able to get a decent image run of some swan aggression.
The highlight of doing some bird photography after 10 was when I captured a few different images of a kingfisher. None of them were great images… but certainly provided good learning experiences.
The image above is from a burst of a fast fly-by about 33 metres (~108 feet) away.
The photograph above captured a kingfisher after it emerged from the water with a fish in its bill. I had moved along a densely wooded shoreline to photograph the kingfisher from a distance of 31 metres (~102 feet) away.
The photograph above is of a kingfisher after it resurfaced from the water after an unsuccessful fishing attempt, and was flying back to a distant perch. This image was captured from a distance of just over 40 metres (~132 feet) away.
The reach of the M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS came in very helpful when capturing the image above, and the one that follows. Both were shot with my lens fully open, and using a focal length of 600 mm (efov 1200 mm).
The kingfisher in the above image was 50.6 metres (~166 feet) away. I used a small, single auto-focus point so I could acquire, and lock focus, on the bird as it was about to eat its catch. This action happens so quickly that I wanted to use my E-M1X’s Pro Capture H function as it allows me to shoot at 60 frames-per-second. The Sync-IS in my M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS was invaluable.
The image above of a kingfisher dropping down from its perch to dive on a fish was a bit tricky. It was captured from a distance of 31 metres (~102 feet), using Pro Capture H, with a focal length of 600 mm (efov 1200 mm).
I did not have a clear view of the perched kingfisher as it was obscured behind a maze of small branches and twigs. I was able to place a single, small auto-focus point on a visible part of the bird.
I kept my shutter release half depressed so I could lock that focus as I recomposed my image. I moved my composition down lower so the kingfisher was no longer even in the frame.
The new framing allowed me to take advantage of a clear shooting angle underneath the bird. I continued spooling images into temporary memory using Pro Capture H. Then when the kingfisher dropped down off its perch and through my composition, I fully depressed my shutter release and captured this image.
Photographing birds after 10 AM in the morning is more challenging as there tends to be fewer birds out and about. Mother Nature provides some photographic opportunities if we look for them.
Technical Note
Photographs were captured handheld using camera equipment noted in the EXIF data. All images were created from RAW files using my standard process in post. This is the 1,455 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.
How you can keep this website advertising free
My intent is to keep this photography blog advertising free. If you enjoyed this article and/or my website and would like to support my work, you can purchase an eBook, or make a donation through PayPal (see Donate box below). Both are most appreciated. Sometimes all we need as photographers is a bit of inspiration. We hope you can find some of that inside Finding Visual Expression II.
Finding Visual Expression II is available for download for an investment of $11.99 CDN. The best viewing experience of this eBook will be at 100% using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
You may be interested in all of the 30 concepts covered in both of these related eBooks. If so, you may want to also consider Finding Visual Expression.
Finding Visual Expression is available for download for an investment of $11.99 Cdn. The best viewing experience of this eBook will be at 100% using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Our other eBooks include Images of Ireland, New Zealand Tip-to-Tip, Nikon 1: The Little Camera That Could, Desert & Mountain Memories, Images of Greece, Nova Scotia Photography Tour, and a business leadership parable… Balancing Eggs.
If you click on the Donate button below you will find that there are three donation options: $7.50, $10.00 and $20.00. All are in Canadian funds. Plus, you can choose a different amount if you want. You can also increase your donation amount to help offset our costs associated with accepting your donation through PayPal. An ongoing, monthly contribution to support our work can also be done through the PayPal Donate button below.
You can make your donation through your PayPal account, or by using a number of credit card options.
Word of mouth is the best form of endorsement. If you like our website please let your friends and associates know about our work. Linking to this site or to specific articles is allowed with proper acknowledgement. Reproducing articles, or any of the images contained in them, on another website or in any social media posting is a Copyright infringement.
Article and images are Copyright 2025 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, duplication or adaptation of any kind is allowed without written consent. If you see this article reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use. Posting comments on offending websites and calling out individuals who steal intellectual property is always appreciated!