Green jay in flight

This is a green jay I photographed during my last Texas birds workshop. The coveted pictures are flight shots, of course, and it's easy to take them because we bait these wild birds with seeds and nuts carefully hidden in the natural looking perches we use. The key is to use a shutter speed fast enough to freeze even the tips of the wings. Some photographers like a bit of blur in the wings to 'imply motion', but I prefer every part of the birds to be tack sharp. The ideal shutter speed is at least 1/3200. Once in a while with small birds that are as fast as bullets, I'll use 1/4000. I took this shot from a blind with a Canon 100-500mm zoom set to 270mm, and the settings were 1/4000, f/7.1, and 4000 ISO. The position of the wings is most attractive when birds are landing or taking off. It is interesting to note that green jays are among the few North American bird species known to use tools. My next workshop in south Texas for birds will be in May, 2025.