American goldfinch male

I was successful in getting this male in flight today and fortunate to get a good wing position. The background is my lawn in the distance.

To get this image I shifted focus to the far right point and focused on the bird as it perched. This allowed it to fly into the focal plane where there was empty space. I then pressed the shutter in "burst mode" with my right hand and raised my left arm to flush the bird from his perch. It took more than one try to get this but ultimately the technique worked. I had plenty of goldfinches to work with as well.

Please click for uncompressed view, thanks

Canon 1DX2, 500mm f4L IS II, ISO 1250, f/8, 1/4000 sec, manual exposure, tripod