Chris,
It shows well in your picture with sequential shots!
What is your camera and lens setup and your frame rate? Do you use tracking?
One can really appreciate and personally feel and empathize with that effort and intent.
The bird’s “flight take off” is so impressive!
.....but after millions of years, no doubt these tiny fellows just do it effortlessly, without thinking, from ancient memory locked in constantly refined circuits!
The ability to have animal behavior written with a conditional statement “IF, then” is responsible for that flight happening each time, so perfectly!
....and also for you being able to judge when to take the pictures!
Asher