Switching quickly from stationary to flying birds

My T3i skills are slowly impoving to where I seem to be taking less time switching between Av to Tv, single point to multi point AF, etc. etc. when switching between different subjects.

However, switching between stationary and flying birds gives me the most trouble. The common situation is that I am focusing on stationary birds when suddenly a great opportunity presennts itself with a bird transiting across my field of view. I need to switch from stabilization mode 1 to 2, from single point to multi point AF, from normal AF to AF servo and from single to continuous mode. Getting all this done rapidly seems to give me the most trouble.

Is it possible to set up a "hot button" that switches all of these at the same time?" I am making my way through the manual but haven't seen it elucidated. Is it possible on a higher model?

Have you tried rotating the mode dial to sports mode.

The t3i doesn't have user definable custom modes, I think you have to go up to a 60D to get a single custom mode

Wow, that's a lot of stuff to change and there is no way to change all that in one fell swoop on the 600D.

There's really no need to though...I shoot birds in this type of situation quite frequently, here's what I use:

1.) Back button focus set permanently to AI Servo AF(press and release for stationary subjects; press and hold for moving subjects).
2.) Single point AF(preferably center point), no need to use multi-point AF as it starts in the center anyway, and if there are other objects closer to you in frame, it will likely choose the wrong one.
3.) Continuous shooting mode as there is nothing to be gained by using Single Frame mode even for stationary subjects.

I just leave my camera set this way all the time, unless there is some reason to change, and get good bird shots most of the time.

Now why didn't I think of that...great points, thanks! I always feel foolish after asking a question here on POTN..

rrblint wrote in post #14940474
2.) Single point AF(preferably center point), no need to use multi-point AF as it starts in the center anyway, and if there are other objects closer to you in frame, it will likely choose the wrong one.

For a 600D that's true. If you had a 7D or 1D Mark IV or something, then it would have been possible to adjust the behavior of the Servo AF in more detail, and in that case it would have made more sense to switch to more AF points.