Today almost seemed too easy! Decided to visit LSU Lakes, praying along the way that I'd find something. Yes, I literally asked God to bless me with something. However, I don't recommend praying and driving, especially around Baton Rouge. It's too easy to get annoyed, then a word enters your mind or comes out of your mouth that God would not approve of.

Although not rare, the Tri-colored Heron (formerly known as the Louisiana Heron) is not usually among the "gang" around LSU Lakes. But there he was, standing in shallow water, probably fishing for a snack. Then he flew to a nearby oak and posed. :) They like to agitate the water with their feet, then twirl and raise a wing to shield glare from the water, making it appear as if they are ballet dancing. If you've never sat and observed the behavior of these birds, stop next time you see one, and be entertained. In addition to their elegant fishing maneuvers, they are adorned with gorgeous blue-gray, lavender and white feathers.

8/366Tri-colored Heron | Louisiana Heron

400mm | f/8 | ISO 400 | 1/1000 sec

Technical note: The Canon 100-400mm IS II f/4.5-5.6 lens has been difficult to achieve focus with of late. Yesterday I played with AI Servo settings which led to some improvement, but it was still hunting and slow to focus. It's been really sunny the last few days, so I knew "The Beast" as I call it, had plenty of light. I was getting ready to send it to Canon when I came across another person in a Canon forum with the same problem! The suggestion was to remove the circular polarizer because it reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor by one or two stops. HELLO! Removing the filter seemed to be the trick. No more hunting and sharper shots.