My most challenging was last year in Costa Rica trying to get hummingbirds. Trying to get them in frame and react fast enough to press the shutter before they flitted off. I use a Sony RX10 MkIv bridge camera as I wanted something lightish and not have to lug big lenses around eating into my baggage allowance on flights.
.This shot was 1/2000 at F4,ISO 640. 300mm
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@Simon-in-Suffolk I’m experimenting at the moment. My main goto is the OM Systems OM1 with the 300mm F4 with either a 1.4 or 2x convertor. The 2x is a bit unwieldy and with F8 it needs to be a nice sunny day. So far the 300 with the 1.4 seems to be OK but again the light needs to be good. I’m trying to use the OM1 pro settings which stores frames in the buffer and then commits them to the memory card when the shutter is fully depressed. I assume the Nikon has something similar. The OM1 becomes really crap in low light and trying to get birds in flight means the ISO needs to be quite high and I need a shutter speed of at least 1/2000 or preferably 1/3200 although I do use Topaz Photo AI to help, but it’s a thin line improving the photo and over processing it.
My other gear is a Pentax K3 III and a K1 II and I use either a 300 F4 sometimes with a 1.4 convertor or I have a 150-450 F4.5 - 6.3 which is a lovely lens but bloody heavy, one of the drawbacks with full frame.
Most of my recent photos I’ve published on here have been taken through a window so some reflection and lack of sharpness will occur. I find that sitting and watching them is very helpful, I get to know their flight paths and it provides amusement watching them.
My other goal this year is to get some good images of Bees in flight and to try out my software to blend multiple exposures into one image. Have a look at the work Andrew Fusek-Peters has done with butterflies, he uses OM systems gear and if I can get anywhere close to that with Bees I will be very happy.
Tim
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Absolutely - observing and patience is key - preferably sitting on a waterproof mat if outside on a river bank!
But yes much bird behaviour is in a regular pattern that repeats sometimes over quite a long cycle time - and you can use this in photography to predict a scene.
If you go to a large estuary or scrape where you have many species side by side - you also find and ebb and flow in terms of stability and spats - and yes the spats can make more interesting photos - you also notice this by an increase in audible noise level - before it all quietens down again.
fantastic you have success around 400mm - albeit you say your zoom is heavy. I tend to find that is not long enough for my general style with waders and sea birds - I tend to use my 800mm f/6.3 which uses a phase fresnel lens to keep the weight down for handholding or mono pod holding if over an extended time. But appreciate your dilemma with light - of course the most interesting photos tend to be at the start and end of days with reduced light - so having a camera with reasonable descent low noise is important. I find I can create good sharp images (with feather details) as long as I don’t exceed ISO 9000 - and some of those so called ‘AI’ sharpening/denoise tools can create horrible artefacts if you are not careful.
BTW I really like your blue tit picture - was that short through a window? as the colour looks like it has been. But you captured motion in a dynamic pose wonderfully - also with an interesting background.
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I agree, however with my kit long lenses are difficult to come by. I think if I had a blank canvas I would either get a Nikon Z9 or a Sony A1 with the latter having plenty of lenses to choose from.
I do enjoy seeing the occasional picture from @Jamiewednesday especially of the Kingfisher. The Bluetit was taken through a bedroom window, the room in which my HiFi is located and the tree is about 20 feet from the window and the sun illuminates it all perfectly at certain times of the day and allows a nice contrast and the ability to get some nice colours.
Tim
If you are looking possibly at a new system, I can recommend the Nikon Z8. Sure the Z9 has greater heat capacity and power reserves, but the relative deft of the z8 makes it ideal for tracking birds… with plenty of power for 4 hours plus of almost constant shooting with VR lenses. The Nikon system offers lag free and consistent EVF performance, ideal for tracking and framing birds in flight with good low noise for 45 MPx. There are great range of native and third party long lenses for the Nikon Z system… anyway just a thought…
Thanks, I’m due a visit to a camera store so will bear that in mind. I do have a shed load of Pentax lenses acquired over the years so probably won’t want to trade in but maybe invest in an alternative system just for birds in flight.
Tim
I’ll guess you’re happy with that 
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Not mine, hence the name of the photographer 
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Very fortunate to see this beauty today. Kingfishers are uncommon here in the north of Scotland as they find it difficult to survive cold winters. This one has turned up on a pond in a town ten miles from where we live and was remarkably relaxed about all the photographers with lenses pointing at her. I was very fortunate to see her catch a fish too - a first for me.
Cheers,
Ian
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Do you know where that was ?
Unfortunately not, any idea?
Looking for its 10mm socket, probably. Lackford Lakes this morning.
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Mr and Mrs Mallard in late afternoon sun.
A mute swan making a bit of a splash
Moorhens running on water
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Ian, one and two are superb captures - its great she appears so relatively tame.
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I’ve only just realised how beautiful dunnocks are
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nice
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Excellent! Chetti’s is harder to see than hear. It has a distinctive loud song which is a guide to finding the bird. It now counts as a British resident having been recorded breeding in Kent since 1972.
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