If you've tried various settings on your DSLR while in the manual mode you've developed a basic understanding of the way in which shutter speed, aperture (f-stop), and ISO affect the picture. To create an image like this one of the egret taking flight your primary consideration is the shutter speed. The egret appears suspended because I've captured a small fraction of a second, just 1/2500, in which the wings appear to be still. You can create that setting in either manual mode or shutter priority mode (whatever your manufacturer calls it). I use manual mode, evaluate the exposure before focusing on the bird, under-expose a bit because of the bird's brightness, and then select a tracking focus mode to maintain focus while following the bird and holding the shutter button down in burst mode. For your camera a "sport" mode may suffice. I also developed this shot to add separation of the bird from the background.
