Well, I tried again today with birds in flight. I only got a few sharp images of which this is one, except I didn't get the entire wingspan. I got a bit better at twisting my torso to follow the bird, and have moved my hand out to the far end of the lens for stability. I also tried finding the bird at wider focal length, then zooming in to capture - not easy - an old style push pull zoom would be a good tool for this. I know this is a repeat refrain, but shooting birds in flight is a hard skill to master. I think the next time I will try using my tripod and a gimbal mount. The tripod will be a hassle and limit my mobility. The sun was at my back, and the wind was shifting substantially, so the path of the gulls was inconsistent but never directly towards me. The finder on my camera is decent but if I don't get my eye secure against it and light leaks in, visibility is difficult. This is impossible with eyeglasses on, and thankfully the diopter corrects to my eyesight.
