Pygmy Swiftlets in flight

For several mornings now, I noticed these tiny spitfires darting above the Bued River, hawking insects. I thought this was an excellent opportunity to retrieve my DSLR gear from deep storage and check if the electro-mechanicals are still functioning. Well the 7D II and 400 DO II are still fine, but my BIF shooting reflexes are definitely rusty. I hope these critters will stay for a few mornings more so I can improve my panning skills and get them a bit closer. 

Pygmy Swiftlet (Collocalia troglodytes, a Philippine endemic)

Habitat - Fairly common, smallest swiftlet in groups flying low over forest, clearings and logging roads (total length = 3.5 inches) 

1. Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, January 10, 2020, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 f/4 DO II, 400 mm, f/5.0, ISO 640, 1/2500 sec, manual exposure in available light, hand held.

Uncropped full frame resized to 900 x 600:

 

 

 Major crop:

 

 

1200 x 800 version 

 

 

 

2. Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, January 10, 2020, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 f/4 DO II, 400 mm, f/4.5, ISO 640, 1/4000 sec, manual exposure in available light, hand held.

Uncropped full frame resized to 900 x 600:

 

 

 Major crop:

 

 

 1200 x 800 version