Photographing Birds of Prey in Yorkshire

Birds of prey photography in Yorkshire is one of the most rewarding challenges for anyone interested in Yorkshire wildlife photography. From soaring buzzards and red kites to fast-moving sparrowhawks and kestrels, Yorkshire’s countryside provides wonderful opportunities to capture these impressive birds in their natural surroundings.

As a wildlife photographer, I particularly enjoy photographing birds of prey because you never quite know what the next moment will bring. A bird can be perched quietly on a fence post one minute and then suddenly take to the air, giving you only seconds to capture the photograph.

Birds of prey you can photograph in Yorkshire

Yorkshire is home to a variety of birds of prey, with different species found in habitats ranging from woodland and farmland to moorland, wetlands, and the Yorkshire coast.

Some of the species you may encounter include:

• Buzzard
• Kestrel
• Sparrowhawk
• Red Kite
• Peregrine Falcon
• Merlin
• Short-eared Owl
• Barn Owl
• Tawny Owl

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s guide to birds of prey provides useful information about some of the species found across Yorkshire.

The RSPB birds of prey identification guide is also useful if you are learning to identify the different species you encounter while out with your camera.

For a wildlife photographer, each species presents a different challenge.

Photographing a soaring buzzard

The common buzzard is one of the birds of prey you are most likely to encounter while exploring the Yorkshire countryside.

Buzzards spend much of their time perched on prominent locations or soaring overhead. This makes them a good species to practise flight photography with.

When a buzzard takes to the air, watch its flight path rather than immediately raising your camera. If you can anticipate where it is heading, you have a much better chance of getting the bird in the frame.

Try photographing against a clean sky, but also look for opportunities where the bird passes over woodland, hills, or farmland. Including some of the Yorkshire countryside can give your photograph a stronger sense of place.

Capturing a kestrel hovering

Kestrels are fascinating birds to photograph because of their characteristic hovering behaviour.

They can often be seen hovering over grassland while searching for prey. This provides an excellent opportunity to practise tracking a bird in flight.

A fast shutter speed is particularly useful when photographing a hovering kestrel. Try starting around 1/1600 sec or faster and adjust your ISO and aperture according to the available light.

Keep the autofocus working continuously and allow plenty of space in front of the bird.

The aim isn’t simply to get the bird sharp. Try to capture the moment when the kestrel’s wings, head, and body create an interesting pose.

Photographing a fast-moving sparrowhawk

Sparrowhawks are a completely different challenge.

They are incredibly fast and can appear almost without warning. Their ability to move quickly through the woodland makes photographing them particularly difficult.

The key is patience.

Rather than constantly walking around looking for a sparrowhawk, spend time observing an area where you know they occur. Woodland edges, gardens, and areas with plenty of smaller birds can all provide opportunities.

You can see examples of my own Sparrowhawk wildlife photographs in my Birds of Prey gallery.

If one appears, be ready. Keep your camera settings prepared before the action starts.

Red kite photography in Yorkshire

Red kites have become one of Yorkshire’s great wildlife success stories.

Their distinctive forked tails and broad wings make them particularly attractive photographic subjects, especially when they are soaring overhead.

A red kite against a blue Yorkshire sky can make a beautiful photograph, but don’t always concentrate on filling the entire frame.

Try wider compositions that include the surrounding landscape. Yorkshire’s hills, fields, and woodland can help tell the story of where the photograph was taken.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s information on birds of prey includes information about the return and spread of red kites across Yorkshire.

The importance of shutter speed

One of the biggest challenges when photographing birds of prey is freezing movement.

For birds sitting on a perch, you can often use a relatively moderate shutter speed. Flight photography is different.

As a starting point, consider:

Perched bird: 1/500 sec or faster
Slow soaring bird: 1/1000 sec or faster
Fast flight: 1/1600–1/2500 sec or faster

These are starting points rather than fixed rules. Light levels, focal length, subject movement, and the effect you want in the photograph will all influence your settings.

If the light is good, don’t be afraid to increase your shutter speed.

Choosing the right lens

A telephoto or telephoto zoom lens is extremely useful for photographing birds of prey.

Something in the region of 100–400mm can provide a useful combination of reach and flexibility.

However, don’t assume that the longest lens is always the best choice.

At dedicated photography locations, birds can sometimes fly surprisingly close to you. The National Centre for Birds of Prey at Helmsley offers photography days where birds can be photographed at close range and during flying demonstrations.

This can provide a useful opportunity to practise flight photography, particularly if you are still developing your technique.

Autofocus and continuous shooting

Birds in flight are challenging subjects for autofocus.

Use continuous autofocus and, where available on your camera, an appropriate animal or bird tracking mode.

Continuous shooting can also help because a sequence of photographs may contain one frame where the wings, head, and body come together perfectly.

However, don’t rely entirely on shooting hundreds of photographs.

Good preparation, anticipation, and understanding of the bird’s behaviour can be just as important as the camera settings.

Look beyond the bird

One of my favourite approaches to wildlife photography is to think about the environment as well as the animal.

A bird of prey photographed against a beautiful Yorkshire landscape can sometimes tell a stronger story than a tightly cropped portrait.

Look for:

• Birds perched on old fence posts
• Raptors against the Yorkshire hills
• Birds flying over farmland
• Kestrels hovering above the grassland
• Red kites soaring over woodland
• Buzzards perched in winter trees
• Peregrines against dramatic skies

These photographs connect the bird with its surroundings and help create a sense of place.

You can explore more of my wildlife photographs from the Yorkshire countryside for examples of how wildlife and landscape can work together in a photograph.

Photographing birds of prey ethically

Wildlife always comes first.

Never deliberately disturb a bird to obtain a photograph. Avoid approaching nests or breeding sites and follow local access restrictions and reserve guidelines.

Particularly sensitive species should be given plenty of space. Sharing precise locations of vulnerable nesting birds publicly can also put unnecessary pressure on them.

The best wildlife photographs are those where the photographer has allowed the animal to behave naturally.

Patience is often more rewarding than getting closer.

A great place to practise

For photographers who want to practise photographing birds of prey in controlled conditions, the National Centre for Birds of Prey at Helmsley is worth considering.

The centre’s photography days provide opportunities to photograph a range of raptors in flight, with the birds flying overhead and the Yorkshire countryside providing a natural backdrop.

This can be particularly useful if you are learning flight photography and want to practise tracking, autofocus, and shutter speed before heading out to photograph wild birds.

Enjoy the challenge

Photographing birds of prey in Yorkshire isn’t always easy. Sometimes you can spend hours outside and return home without the photograph you hoped for.

But that’s part of the attraction.

The next time you are exploring the Yorkshire countryside, keep looking upwards. A buzzard may be circling over the fields, a kestrel could be hovering over the roadside grass, or a red kite might suddenly appear overhead.

Have your camera ready, watch the bird’s behaviour, and be patient.

You never know when that perfect moment will arrive.

Explore more J P Watson Photography

If you enjoy Yorkshire wildlife photography, you can explore more of my wildlife photography and images from around the Yorkshire countryside.