My goal yesterday was to catch a duck or gull taking off from Lake Washington, in Seattle. Lots of misses because Mallards give no discernible signs of take-off (that this photog recognizes, anyway:). Finally, had my lens pointing in the right direction right after the female launched and while the male was mid-launch, trying to catch up with her. Yay!

Used my Canon 5D Mark IV, 400mm lens. ISO 2500, 1/2500, at F/5.6.