Avocet Posing

Found almost perfect conditions yesterday along the gulf coast with low tide, 36 deg F temperature, calm winds and sunshine.  Was hoping for still as glass water but it wasn’t quite there.  Found several flocks of American Avocets just off shore.  Good opportunity to try out my repaired camera by getting sand all over it.  Was successful at that, along with getting very close to some Avocets.  Laid down on a sandbar with water on both sides of me and waited for the Avocets to walk closer.  Got some shots looking towards the gulf and remembered one of my golden rules, look behind you.  Turned around and found several Avocets walking in the water right behind me.  Slowly pivoted on my stomach and got lots of close-up shots as they kept walking in front of me along the narrow stretch of water between my sand bar and the next one.  Can’t wait to go out again.

Taken with Canon 7D and Canon 500mm F4 IS II lens with 1.4x III teleconverter mounted on Skimmer ground pod with Wimberley II gimbal head

Aperture priority, 1/640 sec @ F11, ISO 400, evaluative metering, -1/3 exposure compensation, 700mm