Two days ago I looked out the window of our den from where I was typing here, and I noticed that a couple of Blue Jays had taken over the squirrel feeder for a moment, so I grabbed my KP and shot. A minute later, a squirrel chased the Jays off, so it is good that I grabbed the shot when I could. The Jays really like peanuts, so he was picking through the corn and other material that I had filled the feeder with, dumping most of it on the ground, but lovingly eating the peanuts-in-shell.

My KP was set up to take photos of the bird feeder, which is the reason for the settings I had used, but it was dripping out there, so the birds had largely gone away because the day was so gloomy - but the Jays and I were "there".

[ToddK]

Nice result considering the high ISO. Jays would not pass an opportunity like this by, rain or shine

[photolady95]

Nice catch!

Next time try spot metering instead of pattern, just a suggestion as that's what I shoot my birds and squirrels with and it focuses directly on the birds or squirrels, and only captures what's in front of the lens, not the whole scene with trees in the way.

[reh321]

Nice result considering the high ISO. Jays would not pass an opportunity like this by, rain or shine

Thank you for the comment.

I have admit that I took this photo without checking all the setting as I usually do. If I had checked the settings, I probably would have lowered the f-stop and the ISO ..... but perhaps would have missed the photo because of imminent return of the squirrel {Mrs Jay, the one on the branch, missed her turn because of his return, for example}. Life goes on because of the rain, and I try to observe/record most of it.

[reh321]

Nice catch!

Next time try spot metering instead of pattern, just a suggestion as that's what I shoot my birds and squirrels with and it focuses directly on the birds or squirrels, and only captures what's in front of the lens, not the whole scene with trees in the way.

Thank you for commenting on this one too.

Yeah, I alternate that .... I haven't quite decided that for myself. Sometimes I shoot without "aiming", and I haven't quite decided for myself if I get better shots of birds that way.

[photolady95]

Thank you for commenting on this one too.

Yeah, I alternate that .... I haven't quite decided that for myself. Sometimes I shoot without "aiming", and I haven't quite decided for myself if I get better shots of birds that way.

Some shooters use burst mode or whatever you call it. Normhead does this, take a lot of photos of whatever he's shooting and hope one is in focus. I don't think this is a good way to shoot birds, some I have here are close to me, and shooting burst mode, all would be out of focus.

[torashi]

Oh, those lovely corvids! They're so smart! <3

[reh321]

Some shooters use burst mode or whatever you call it. Normhead does this, take a lot of photos of whatever he's shooting and hope one is in focus. I don't think this is a good way to shoot birds, some I have here are close to me, and shooting burst mode, all would be out of focus.

If I understand correctly, Norm sets up his cameras to shot AF-C with the burst pace important This means that, if it is time to shoot, the camera will shoot regardless of whether it thinks the object is in focus; in this setting, focus may change from shot to shot. The other issue is that 'nature' of focus may matter - wing tip may be in focus in one shot, head in the next one {especially if you have a 'nine' pattern, as I did in that one}. I suppose it is not surprising that I'm still trying to find my best mode a year after getting the KP.

[reh321]

Oh, those lovely corvids! They're so smart! <3

They may be 'smart", but they are also obnoxious. These Blue Jays are relatives of the Crows - and they sound like it; the day in question, I heard them long before I saw them, and it was not a pleasing 'song'.

[photolady95]

I was going to tell you, you can set a cap on your ISO so it doesn't go higher than you need. Mine is capped at 1600 when I use TAV, of course, if it blinks even at 1600, you'll have to do some adjustments. I just don't know your situation but I think the ISO on this one shot was bit too high.

[foxandcrow]

Nice shot. Appreciate your comment about shoot first before their gone. I do that a lot and realize later where my settings were.

[The Squirrel Mafia]

Nice shot given the high ISO.

[reh321]

Nice shot. Appreciate your comment about shoot first before their gone. I do that a lot and realize later where my settings were.

Thank you for the comment.

I try to leave my camera set so that I can take a photo immediately - because I may not have time to check them before I press the shutter button.
In this case, I left the upper limit to floating ISO higher than normal {important because I often shoot in TAv mode} but it worked out in this case.
My philosophy of "shoot now, ask question later" is the result of missing too many shots because I took time to think.

[reh321]

Nice shot given the high ISO.

Thank you for your comment.

Cases like this is why I sing the KP's praises.

[The Squirrel Mafia]

^ The KP's image quality is mind blowingly good. I'd have no problem setting the auto ISO from 100 to 25600 & using ISO 51200 in a pinch if I had one.