Birds in flight are more interesting than static birds sitting on a perch (although I also enjoy those). The choice of gear is important when attempting to shoot birds in flight. The camera needs to have very fast auto focus and tracking. These creatures move fast. Your camera will also need to shoot at a fast frame rate (how many shots it shoots in continuous mode per second). If you have attempted to shoot birds in flight before you will know a few things. To get good shots your bird have to be a reasonable size in the frame, but their wings move. So when you review your shots you will find many shots with clipped wings. Then the bird is looking the wrong way. Then this, then that. To end up with a few good ones you have to start with many. So set the camera on continuous burst mode and fire as many shots per second as your camera can shoot.

          Many of these birds are small. They are wild and do not let you come close to them. So you are shooting from a distance (as close as you can get). If you are serious about shooting birds getting a blind (hide in Europe) is a good investment. Since you are father than you want to be from your furry friend you need reach. You get reach by using long telephoto lenses. They are very expensive! That is why many bird photographers use a crop (APS-C) camera rather than full frame cameras. Crop cameras give you a narrower field of view for the same lens on a full frame camera. To summarize: your camera will need very fast auto focus and tracking; shoot at a high frame rate; and you will probably want to use a crop camera. Examples are: Canon 7D II, Sony A6000, Nikon ... hmm, not sure right now).

          Your lens, as we have already said should be a long telephoto. It does not stop there. The bigger the F.Stop of your lens the better for birding. A big F.Stop will allow you faster shutter speeds and it will help to blur your background beautifully. Most importantly, image stabilization is important for you; not because of the bird because image stabilization does not help for moving objects, but it will help because your camera is moving. Now, it is important to get a newer lens that has image stabilization that allows you to pan (move the camera to follow the bird while you shoot). You do not want the stabilization to attempt to counter act your intentional movements. Have I mentioned that these lenses are really expensive?

          If you don't have the resources to invest in such lens there is a "sort of" solution. Shoot bigger birds; get a blind; or shoot hovering birds like this one:

The same rules apply as with most other photography. Shoot in nice light. Have more space in front than behind. Get to know the animal's behavior. The better you can predict what they are going to do the better you can anticipate and be ready. So study them. Plant a perch and watch; do they always fly in from the same side? If not, can you place something in the way to persuade them to come from where you want them to come? With this kind of photography it just requires a lot of shooting and practice to become good (not that I am a good bird photographer). Persevere, take courage and shoot, shoot, shoot.

Enjoy those furry friends.