Orange On Blue

I heard the staccato call and looked around assuming as usual I wouldn't see one and then a flash of orange against the bright blue sky.

It's tricky getting the lens to point up that high when on the tripod, I have to get the ball head in the right position. That takes a second which is often too much time. But today I was lucky and got four frames.

I've decided to just shoot, get one in the bag and then try for focus, exposure and composition. It doesn't always work. I've also tried hand holding, but the lens is heavy and it's tough to manual focus with zoom assist, too shaky. AF often misses and grabs a leaf instead.