The inherent contradiction of birding is that we want to get as close a look as possible of subjects who want to stay as far from us as they can.
CloseUps, our new feature on Flying Lessons, seeks to answer that urging with a series of photos that help you see the silky sheen of feathers, the construction of beaks, even the expressions on the faces of these remarkable creatures. 
Bird watching surely goes back to the origin of the species. But today’s technology, especially the latest telephoto lenses and cameras with extraordinary light sensors, provide us steadily more compelling views, taken from a distance that doesn’t disturb our wary subjects.
CloseUps can be found on the third spot down the navigation bar, or with a click of this link.
We’ll replenish the gallery as fresh photos come along that work with this feature. You can click through the gallery using the thumbnails to the left, or simply wait every few seconds for the slider to advance. We hope you’ll enjoy the view.
