Two bird learnings for today. I’ve had trouble identifying a couple of birds for a long while. Using a telephoto lens really helped.
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There’s a variety of little birds that have thrown me off for some time. I could never quite pin them down until today, when I finally got a good look at the back of their heads and realized they were Ruby-crowned Kinglets! I never had binos or a good lens on hand when I see them and, without the red crown flaring, I missed the subtle red dot. Mystery solved! (I’ll include a meh photo I took today that shows the elusive red spot).
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Turns out those dark little birds have been Dark-eyed Junco all along. I had presumed they would be larger, which I need to stop doing for birds. I was also getting confused by their variety in color. Thanks to their pink beaks and song, I think I finally have them down now. Another mystery solved.
Unfortunately, not this camera. It relies on lens-based stabilization (if one has lenses that do that). And the telephoto lense I was using is from a much, much older camera that I bought an adapter for. Someday, when the gods bestow upon me wealth, I’ll be able afford the nice things. Until then, I just have to be really really still. 😁
Don’t hesitate to buy used. I bought a 14 year old Olympus E-M1 for $300 and a 75-300mm zoom for another $300 on eBay. Not the cheapest, but probably the most affordable way to get decent gear.