This week, Beth leads the challenge with a topic that speaks to my soul—the gift of flight and the wings that create lift. She writes, “I am challenging you to feature anything with wings.” You can read her entire challenge post here.
Early one morning in 2019, as our cruise ship transited the Panama Canal, the Golden Hour sun—6:37 AM, to be exact—caught the wings of a Great Egret in flight. Its typically white plumage was so intensely lit that it cast a spectacular glow I didn’t fully appreciate until I saw the image on the back of my camera.
From a water bird to raptors: first, an African Fish Eagle in flight over Transport Dam in Kruger National Park, South Africa. I captured several frames of this hunter as he lifted off and landed repeatedly, only meters from our vantage point. The day was cloudy; however, Gemini notes that this raptor is known to fly into the sun deliberately—erasing its shadow on the water and relying solely on the precision of its wings for the catch.
Closer to home, the desert southwest is home to Harris’s Hawks. Unlike most raptors, they are social hunters, working in family groups—sometimes called a cast—to flush and capture prey together. This cooperative style has earned them a striking nickname: The Wolves of the Air, hunting with precision, purpose, and a pack instinct.
Birds aren’t the only natural flyers. This beautiful butterfly—known as a Paper Kite or Rice Paper Butterfly—is native to Southeast Asia. However, I photographed this specimen clinging to the window of a butterfly enclosure in Tucson, Arizona. Gemini notes that Large Tree Nymphs, as they’re formally called, are often featured in such exhibits thanks to their dramatic size and delicate, floating flight.
As a private pilot, it’s appropriate for me to shift from wings born of nature to those engineered by human hands: this KC-135 Stratotanker, operated by the Ohio Air National Guard, represents my salute to manmade flight. Designed for aerial refueling, the KC-135 has been a backbone of U.S. air mobility since the late 1950s. Its swept-back wings and four turbofan engines allow it to cruise at high altitudes, extending the reach of fighters, bombers, and cargo aircraft across continents. The tanker was ready to launch for a rehearsal during the 2019 Fargo AirSho.
The KC-135’s enormous wings are a masterpiece of aluminum alloy engineering, but the aircraft’s true power lies in the ‘invisible wings’ of its dedicated flight crew. While the aircraft’s wings provide the lift, the crew—the true operators of this magnificent machine—wear wings of their own, either embroidered in cloth or pinned to their uniforms. These symbolic insignias denote their essential roles as pilot, co-pilot, or boom operator. The aircraft doesn’t fly alone; these symbolic wings honor not just the mastery of flight, but the skill, trust, and coordination that the human team provides. Though the specific crew for this rehearsal isn’t publicly listed, their flawless performance was a powerful testament to the indispensable human wings behind the machine.
Not all wings are meant for flight. At the top of the Queen Victoria Memorial near Buckingham Palace stands the Winged Victory, a gilded figure with outstretched arms and feathered wings. She’s not airborne, but she represents triumph and aspiration. Like the birds, butterflies, and aircraft in this post, her wings carry meaning—anchored in stone, but still pointing skyward.
Just for fun, here’s a final image that surprised me. When I launched my drone over Ogallala, Nebraska—about 100 feet (30 m) up—a group of birds started circling it. Not aggressively, just curious. Gemini identified them as Franklin’s Gulls, common in the central plains during migration. Their dark hoods and black wingtips stood out against the sky. The circling behavior, Gemini explained, is a kind of aerial investigation—birds checking out whether the drone is a threat, a rival, or just something new in their airspace. It’s a great contrast: natural wings versus mechanical rotors, both sharing the sky.
From symbolic sculpture to global reach, and from feathered grace to forged alloy, each image in this gallery speaks to the power and ingenuity of wings. Whether lifted by instinct, evolution, or engineering, wings carry stories across skies and generations—reminding us that the desire to fly is universal. Beth’s challenge was a trip down memory lane for me to find some of my favorite photographs, and a reminder that, though I am no longer actively flying, aviation is part of my being. Last week, Patti’s challenge led us to mysteries told in so many photo galleries. Next week, Ann-Christine hosts the challenge that will go live at noon Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, December 6. Be sure to follow her here so you don’t miss her post. To find out more about our Lens-Artists challenges, click here.
John Steiner
Journeys with Johnbo 
Great shots and text throughout but that sunlit egret is wonderful.
Thanks, Bish!
Your timing for the bird shots is impecable, John. Wonderful!
Thanks, Sofia! For once, I was up early enough to capture the morning golden hour light. >grin<
🙂
These are wonderful! 😊
Thank you, Pepper!
Wow! John, I love everything about this post. The bird and butterfly images are fantastic. The egret at sunrise is fantastic. I also love the winged victory and your final image of the birds surrounding your drone. Thank you for including your tribute to the airplane crew. Growing up as the daughter of an Air Force pilot it means a lot for you to recognize their importance.
Beth, thanks! I have the greatest admiration for professional pilots, especially those in the military who’s skills are among the best of the breed.
You’ve done a great job in capturing those birds in flight – I’ve tried and I know it’s not easy to keep track of them! The egret is especially lovely!
Thanks, Sarah! Sometimes luck is better than skill. >grin<
Lovely photos, and a mystery. Does a quadcopter attract birds, or is that busy photo entirely a matter of chance?
I’ve flown my drone in many environments. This was the only time I’ve seen this behavior from birds.
Though it’s never happened to me, I’m told sometimes a lone bird, often a predator, will knock a small drone out of the sky. In this case, the birds simply flew around the drone in a clockwise circle. I launched several times, and every time, around 100 feet (30 m), the birds all rose up to create their circular path, never once approaching the drone directly.
That’s very interesting behaviour. Thanks for recording this
It is fascinating!
A wonderful post John, somehow I knew this would be right up your alley ! Loved the variety of your examples but especially your images and descriptions of the airplane-truly a masterpiece of human engineering
Thanks, Tina! I’m afraid I let my admiration for military pilots show. >grin<
Nice collection John, especially the fishing eagle.
Thanks, Brad. I enjoyed this challenge. The photos brought back so many memories of photography in the field.
Yes, it was a fun challenge.
Thanks, Brad.
Wonderful winged shots John. My favorite is your drone amongst the birds. I’m wondering what the birds are thinking!
Thanks, Anne! That was a unique experience for me when I flew the drone there. 🙂
What a nice collection, John. The birds are great, and that butterfly took my breath away as it was clinging to that window.
Thanks, Egidio. That image of the butterfly seemed to be standing in space with the background so translucent.
A beautiful gallery of wings John and I especially love the golden egret – what a wonderful capture! 😊
Thanks, Xenia!
A great selection, John. Just loved that butterfly. Such a beauty.
I was also intrigued by the gulls checking out your drone. Never thought that birds might be drawn to drones. But it does make sense, especially as most drones are about the size of a large bird.
I found it’s not a rare occurrence, but isn’t common either. I haven’t encountered that behavior before or since.
The African Fish Eagle is a beautiful bird. I saw one in Uganda perched in a tree overlooking a river. Hope to one day see one flight!
Great photos – the butterfly and egret are my personal faves!
Thanks, Nora!
Beautiful images for wings, that sunlit Egret is incredible!!! Beautiful capture
I was lucky to be standing outside on deck when that egret flew by.