Denise, in my opinion you just have to wait for better weather. My suggestion is to create a songbird set-up. So, put out a birdfeeder or two, and a couple of bushes/trees near them. Then, buy a blind and wait. I have been doing SLR photography for less time than you, and set-up photography has done me wonders. Here are a couple of shots from yesterday with my (new!) 300 f/4 (this was my second try). I am in no way a seasoned photographer but a setup can make shots like these much easier.


Both taken with 7D, 300mm f/4L IS USM


Both at f/5.6, 1/200, ISO 320. Manual Exposure, Handheld.


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