I was out for a walk yesterday, and looked up to see a great blue heron flying by in a long, graceful arc. Good thing I had my 7D with the 100-400mm lens slung over my shoulder on a BlackRapid strap, 'eh? []


As I spun the mode dial to C3 (my BIF setting) and lifted the camera to my eye, I noticed there was a smaller bird flying little circles around the heron. I fired off a couple of bursts as the heron and his 'wingman' flew toward me, then overhead. It wasn't until after I uploaded the shots to my computer that I noticed it wasn't one smaller bird, but a succession of three different ones accompanying the heron across the sky - first, a tern of some sort (I think), then a grackle, then a red-winged blackbird.


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.35.15/IMG_5F00_2577.jpg[/img]


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.35.15/IMG_5F00_2583.jpg[/img]


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.35.15/IMG_5F00_2586.jpg[/img]


This is actually the first GBH I've seen in person - although I've seen some great images of GBHs on the ground and in the air,I've come to the conclusion that from certain angles while in flight, they look downright funky! [:O]


This 100% crop shows what I mean...


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.35.15/HeronCrop.jpg[/img]


(All shots with EOS 7D,EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6<span style="color: red;"]LIS USM @ 400mm, 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 250-320)