Birds in flight - help wanted please??

Hi folks, Pretty sure that someone here will have the right answer to where I'm going wrong.

I'm lucky enough at the moment to have 2 Barn owls hunting near to where I live, in the late afternoon (UK - about 6pm).
I can get loads of shots of them, but I'm really struggling to get the birds in focus.
Currently using 30D with 100 -400L, image stabiliser on (pos 2 for panning), auto focus setting at 6m & beyond.
Camera set to Tv, varies from around 160 to 200/sec, aperture dependent on shutter speed of course, and ISO wound upwards from 400 to about 800 dependent on the light levels (some evenings have been still sunny, others almost too dark for the lens/cam to cope).
I have AF set at AL servo (wonder if this is where I'm going wrong?) and focus setting at centre(single dot), rather than all 9 AF points lit up.

If I use Canon software to view AF points, nothing shows up - prob because of the tracking on AL servo?

Any advice or suggestions please - I'd really love to get some good shots (of which I am, but coming out blurred).
Here is a couple of crops that have almost been acceptable, and only slightly sharpened/ balanced.

I'll have to upload one of the 'dodgy' ones and post that for an example.
Thanks
V58

Great start...And lucky you..Would LOVE to even see one of these fellows...

Crank up your shutter speed...1/200 is much too slow...Double to start and even higher..

Everything else seems similar to what I have learned here..

That's AI Servo Right...Single dot is the way to go...Practice getting on it's head..

I hope you don't mind me jumping in because I am starting to shoot some birds in flight.

What are the advantages or disadvantages of shooting in TV vs. AV?

Either set your camera to av or manual mode. Most accomplished bird photographers use either or and seldom TV. Learning to use manual gives you entire say so when creating your image and will make one a better photographer able to handle a myriad of situations. Single focus point and AI servo is correct. You can enable all the points to assist you if shooting a bird against a sky or non busy back ground. Crank up your ISO to achieve a high shutter speed and start practicing at F8. If you try to shoot wide open and miss your focus mark even a little bit the shallow deppth of field will render the subject OOF. F8 will give you some leeway to be off a little.

If you are using the 100-400 at 400 you should be at a minimum shutter speed of 1/400 and preferably much higher. I usually never go below 1/1200 if possible with BIF. If you can achieve those speeds turn the IS off. It is useless above 1/1000 and slows focus speed down.

I am not familiar with the 30D but if possible set it for as many FPS as possible. Spray and pray at first. As you get more adept you can selectively depress the shutter.

When I first started photographing birds years ago I practiced with having a friend toss a Frisbee or ball. It will help you learn to track objects in flight as well as seeing the different effects various settings produce.

busbyea wrote in post #5168697
Great start...And lucky you..Would LOVE to even see one of these fellows...

Crank up your shutter speed...1/200 is much too slow...Double to start and even higher..

Everything else seems similar to what I have learned here..

That's AI Servo Right...Single dot is the way to go...Practice getting on it's head..

I have been spot on with the single dot - aimed at the head, allowing for the forward/ predictable movement of the birds, but they're just not happening.
I really cannot believe my luck at the moment busbyea - I could have sat in my bedroom window and watched these tonight, they were that close to home, but instead I chose to stand out on the marshes with the freezing wind etc, eyes watering ha ha.
The main trouble is the light - I've tried to crank up the ISO to 1000 (think these were at 800 or maybe 1000) and aperture is 5.6 (Max at 400).
If I shot at maybe 250 or less, the birds would be so small they wouldn't have any detail in the crops. Just wondering if I should go for it, and wind the ISO to 1600 max & allow for the noise.

Thanks for the advice Blue Deuce.
See, I knew you guys would help out.
All being well & it doesn't Pee down with rain or snow (forecast - yikes) tomorrow, I can have another stab at it.
These birds are just unbelieveablely beautiful, and so silent & graceful in flight.
I am just so lucky to have them here after so many years of never ever seeing one, but now I have 2!!
They fly up and down the hedgerows, about 10 - 20ft in the air, and usually I can get within 100ft if that, of them.
The pic of the owl on the post (crop) was taken probably around that mark I guess, but looking on the camera screen / computer screen, the bird itself is such a small image I was surprised to have even got something recognisable.
Thanks again for the replies.
Practice makes perfect.

In regards to cranking up the ISO it really is a double edged sword. Doing so will enable you to be able to get the photo but will introduce tons of noise. While effective with most subjects noise software it is worthless IMO with birds. Applying noise reduction to birds smooths out their feathers and you loose most detail.

Blue Deuce wrote in post #5168759
Either set your camera to av or manual mode. Most accomplished bird photographers use either or and seldom TV. Learning to use manual gives you entire say so when creating your image and will make one a better photographer able to handle a myriad of situations. Single focus point and AI servo is correct. You can enable all the points to assist you if shooting a bird against a sky or non busy back ground. Crank up your ISO to achieve a high shutter speed and start practicing at F8. If you try to shoot wide open and miss your focus mark even a little bit the shallow deppth of field will render the subject OOF. F8 will give you some leeway to be off a little.

If you are using the 100-400 at 400 you should be at a minimum shutter speed of 1/400 and preferably much higher. I usually never go below 1/1200 if possible with BIF. If you can achieve those speeds turn the IS off. It is useless above 1/1000 and slows focus speed down.

I am not familiar with the 30D but if possible set it for as many FPS as possible. Spray and pray at first. As you get more adept you can selectively depress the shutter.

When I first started photographing birds years ago I practiced with having a friend toss a Frisbee or ball. It will help you learn to track objects in flight as well as seeing the different effects various settings produce.

I just found out why I haven't been too successful...

100ft is really at the limit of getting detail That with iso above 400 wont help get a decent shot if you could get to 50ft then your in with a fair chance of getting detail and as said you need to be above 1/400 sec .
go for it .
Rob.

Thank you gents I am going after a few boids this after noon!!

busbyea wrote in post #5168909
I just found out why I haven't been too successful...

You obviously are the exception. You have posted gorgeous BIF anyone would be proud of.

All advice taken on board. I'll post my results tomorrow night - I bet the buggers won't show themselves now.
Fingers X'd for a dry day.

Going to Give it a stab

There are good reasons to use any of the Modes given experiance and Conditions.

Tv sets Shutter speed, Exp and ISO and Allows DOF vary based on the amount of Light and is limited to Largest Aperture (F5.6) on your lens After that you will get Underexposed images.

Av sets Aperture, Exp and ISO and Shutter Speed will vary Based on Light When Shutter speed fall Motion Blurr occurs.

M This mode you set Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO and Exp varies If your light variation is greater than two stops your picture will be Too Light or Dark.

I find any will work if the Light will support proper settings.

Sweet Spot is around:

SS= 1/1250 or higher
Aperture = F8
ISO 200 - 400
Exposure = Set using Histogram from Grey Scale

I find I have to remind myself that telephoto lenses are not meant to bring far subjects close, but rather to bring close subjects closer . Thats my take on it at least, getting detail seems to depend on #1 quality of light, #2 how close to the subject you are. As Rob mentioned, the detail falls off quick the farther out you go.

I would use a tripod and ballhead to track them easier and turn off the IS. Canon does not brag about the fact that it takes anywhere from .5 to .9 seconds for the IS unit to spin up and drop into place, but that's what it is. A lot can happen in half a second with birds in flight and IS is not meant for how your using it anyway, so no loss.

If getting every shot isn't that important right now, try setting to One Shot, instead of AI Servo or AI Focus, Av Mode, a high ISO, turn off IS, use Center Weighted Average metering Mode, [], everyone forgets metering mode, use a tripod with ballhead or a Monopod, or even a stick and sit down and balance the lens over your wrist. This will lower the odds against you, and prevent the camera from firing unless it hit focus. That last part will help you troubleshoot just where you, as the photogroapher, are going wrong. Your going to miss some shots, but so what, a missed shot isn't any worse than a blurred one and it will pinpoint just where your problem is.

Also set the On button to the second on position so you can use the rear wheel with your thumb to set Exposure Compensation. That might give you some edge on things, and for gawds sake, shoot in RAW.