Why do they move so fast?

[Loupey]

OK, these are my first serious attempts at shooting birds. I now have a great appreciation for you birders.

I was using my 2x TC with my 70-200 locked at the 200mm setting. And I was only about 15' away using a 1.6x imaging sensor. Man, how long of a lens must one have to shoot truly wild and wary birds?! A telescope?

Still far from getting the kinds of active, mid-air shots that I've seen here. Workin', or at least thinkin', about it though!

[paulnj]

It's not easy is it I use less mag than you do and have alot of trouble getting tight usually. But I assure you feeder birds are usually much tougher.

I stalk my prey like the hunter / gatherer the humans evolved from

[Mark Hope]

Nice shots! If this is your first attempt at bird photography then you have done very well indeed!

[mjs1973]

You did very well here Loupey. I'm not an expert bird shooter, but I'm getting better. My method is to sit and wait. I built a blind to sit in along some woods on a friends property. It works good for deer and turkey. I but up some bluebird houses over the winter and have been hanging out around them to get some shots. After watching them for a while, you get their patters down and can almost predict what branch they will land on before the return to the nest. With 5 hungry mouths to feed inside the nest, the adults are very active and give me lots of opportunities. Lots of other birds to watch and shoot while waiting also. I take a lawn chair with me, and will just sit in the shade next to a bush about 35' away for a couple of hours.

I have added a few new bird images to my gallery from yesterdays outing.

[Loupey]

Thanks, Mark and Michael, for your comments! You know, I can't believe its been exactly 1 month since I started shooting birds. I must have shot a couple hundred shots of only birds this month. It is a completely different approach for me. Although I'm not an impatient guy, I am also not used to waiting for them to come to me With macro work, I can usually go out and find something to shoot when and where I want to. I realize that actively stalking birds is yet another approach.

I came very close to buying a 400mm f/5.6L this weekend at a camera show and auction that came to town. I was thinking how cool it would be to use that specifically for birding (along with my 2x TC). I must say that birds make exhilerating and rewarding subjects!

Michael, thanks for the tip about the gallery. I since updated mine - I didn't quite know how that worked over there. Seems pretty cool.

[paulnj]

Shooting bird is as tough to quit as shooting heroin pal..... good luck controlling that addiction

[Loupey]

The fact that I even considered plunking down $1200 for a lens only for birding reveals that it may be a bad addiction indeed

[paulnj]

When you start debating dropping $5K for the 400DO IS and a longer prime, get back to me for the meeting location of the Addicted Bird Shooter . I don't have that left on my card or I very well might have one

[Loupey]

I can picture it now.... a couple of dudes (or is it duds) out in the field with beautiful white lens but wearing barrels (or nothing at all).

Sounds like another photo project.