Ok - I'm getting better and better results with my bird photography every time I head out. Normally I'd try to spread these out, but I'm just going to do a nice long post today with the top results from my last outting. I am still cropping, but as you'll see, it is less dramatic (mouseover the images for the original uncropped versions).

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM (borrowed) at 400mm, 1/200th sec at f/8. ISO 500. RAW processing and cropped in Adobe Camera Raw.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM (borrowed) at 400mm, 1/250th sec at f/8. ISO 500. RAW processing and cropped in Adobe Camera Raw.

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM (borrowed) at 400mm, 1/800th sec at f/8. ISO 500. RAW processing and cropped in Adobe Camera Raw.

Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla)

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM (borrowed) at 400mm, 1/1600th sec at f/8. ISO 800. RAW processing and cropped in Adobe Camera Raw.

Hope you're enjoying the bird photographs. Eventually here it will warm up and we'll start getting back into the bugs and spiders... and hopefully a dive trip is in the not too distant future and we can get some underwater fun too! But for now, the improved results with the bird photography is really fun!

- Bill