Blue-tailed Bee-eater in sweet light

I haven't visited Candaba in nearly two years, so I was very excited to do a brief birding sortie in my favorite wetlands a few days ago. There was hardly a trace of clouds in the skies and this naturally gave me golden light in the late afternoon, perfect for this very colorful bee-eater.

The flimsy perch swayed in the light breeze, but the 7D's spot AI servo kept the focus placement firmly on the subject.

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Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus, resident)

Habitat - Open country usually associated with water along rivers, marshes and ricefields.

Shooting Info - Candaba wetlands, Pampanga, Philippines, November 18, 2012, 7D + 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II,
700 mm, f/7.1, ISO 400, 1/400 sec, bean bag, manual exposure in available light.

A short footage of a Blue-tailed Bee-eater at Candaba wetlands