Jim, it seems to me that in the first shot 1/400 was too slow, and in the second...You should never have to use 1/4000 shutter speed for this kind of shot. (did you mean 1/400 for the 2nd?) The Composition is good in the 1st, but in the 2nd the bird is in the right of the frame looking out; try to get it looking in. Good head angle, though.


Cardinals sure are skittish, but chickadees shouldn't be. They can be hand-fed and will usually come to the feeder even when I am at the MFD of 5' of my lens away from it. I suggest you try some perch set-ups near your feeder so the birds will come near you, not the other way around. It gives you a lot of control, and with a lens like yours it shouldn't be too hard.


Seems to me like you are making progress, keep shooting!


brendan