"Flight of the Cuckoo"

When trying to photograph birds as they take off into flight watching and understanding their body language is very important. Birds who are ready to fly become more alert and take on postures that are sometimes obvious and sometimes more subtle. Learning them enables you to be prepared when the moment of lift off occurs. This is a juvenile Cuckoo seen at Parkgate, Cheshire in September 2008. A bird quite reluctant to fly but when it was I was ready.

Canon 400mm iso 250 f5.6 @ 1/2500