Just Some Common Winter Birds

[Loupey]

Bev - thank you very much and as far as the tripod question, no - quite the opposite. My preference is to use the monopod but I had misplaced/lost it two months ago (it was camo wrapped ) and I've been too stubborn to buy a new one. So everything since then has been hand-held. So shooting from a standing stance for hours on end in the cold doesn't make for steady hands.

The basic exif info:

1st 10 images: 300mm + 2xTC, ISO 400, f/11, 1/180s or 1/250s
Brown Thrasher on snow branch: 300mm + 2xTC, ISO 400, f/11, 1/60s
Brown Thrasher thru bush: 300mm alone, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/125s

As you can see, I'll do anything to keep from shooting wide open - these are all stopped down 1 stop. Of course all manual exposure, manual focus.

May finally be "grounded" today. Kids are off from school again, two of the surrounding counties are in a Level 3 winter warning (no driving allowed), I closed down my main business yesterday and today, and it's Valentine's Day. Still will have to get an hour or two someplace, sometime!

Here is the resolution crop of the shot at 1/60s: