Just a short post today. Here is another photo from my tour along the Mississippi. These Common Mergansers were in food competition with the pelicans at lock & dam #14 (see my last post). They were on a constant move about the best positions and fishing grounds. I prefer to handhold my camera and long lens while watching out for Bald Eagles and it works for the mergansers as well. It allows me to pan with the lens even at a short distance and panning is the only way to get the head of the bird sharp. The image was made at 500 mm, 1/350s, f/8, ISO 200.