Which of today\u2019s featured images do you like best? Why did you make your choice? <\/p>\n
Everyone who commented liked either #2, the vulture taking flight with the grass background, or #4 the Cattle Egret with the hornworm caterpillar. My favorite was #2 for very nice takeoff pose and the sweet green background. <\/p>\n
Today\u2019s blog post documents an exciting 15\u00bd-minute Western Cattle Egret session, highlighting how 20 quick vehicle repositionings yielded 600+ frames in an 11-minute, 53-second shooting window. It incorporates tactical field advice on working at 1200mm on the BLUBB for a low perspective, alongside a strategic gear swap to the handheld 600mm f\/6.3 for flight and action, plus tips for creating pleasing compositions with images featuring multiple subjects.<\/p>\n
This post also features a comprehensive technical breakdown comparing the Sony a7R VI\u2019s AI-driven autofocus to the a1 II, as well as the sensor\u2019s \u201cPixel Math\u201d \u2014 explaining how a 66MP file\u2019s 32% increase in file size translates to a 15.55% increase in resolution over 50MP bodies. Post-processing strategies cover both Eye Doctor and bill clean-up tips. Lastly, the text integrates natural history background on Western Cattle Egret (Ardea ibis<\/em>), its foraging habits, Larra bicolor<\/em> (parasitoid wasps), and Florida\u2019s native and invasive mole cricket populations.<\/p>\n Be sure to stay tuned: over the next week or so, an upcoming post will take a deep dive into the shortcomings of the a7R VI for bird photography \u2014 along with the technical explanations that back up those findings, revealing exactly why the a7R VI costs $2,500 less than the a-1 ii. Promise.<\/p>\n General information, copy editing, re-crafting, technical refinement, and formatting for this blog post were assisted by Gemini AI.<\/p>\n My long-lost brother from another mother, Bob Eastman, drove 1,480 miles from Necedah, Wisconsin, to Indian Lake Estates in just two days! He arrived on Saturday evening around 8:30 p.m. He mentioned that the drive was an easy one overall, except for navigating around Atlanta, which he described as “hell on earth.”<\/p>\n The forecast for Sunday morning called for rain, but we headed down to the lake early anyway. Our best find and most fun came from a pair of adult Sandhill Cranes nestled down in the grass resting. They were beyond cooperative and never stood up even when we stepped out of my SUV to photograph them from a lower perspective. For most of the session, I used the 600mm f\/4 (handheld!) paired with the Sony a7R VI. I was forced to handhold using the knee-pod technique because I inadvertently left my tripod in the garage . Of course, it did not begin raining until the afternoon. <\/p>\n The a7R VI\u2019s 66MP raw files continue to amaze me. In several weeks (or possibly less), I will be offering my settings for the Sony a7R VI, along with a Buttons and Dials Guide and a detailed INFO sheet \u2014 free to anyone who purchases this new camera body using one of my affiliate links. Two folks have already jumped on the a7R VI bandwagon! In the meantime, if you have already purchased the camera using one of my links, email me your receipt to receive my current CAMSET.DAT file. I am really enjoying this new camera body and will be sharing plenty more about it here soon. Including potentially problematic issues. <\/p>\n The same offer applies if you have purchased the featherweight Sony FE 600mm f\/6.3 GM OSS lens through one of my links. On Saturday, I finished the BAA 600mm f\/6.3 Lens Guide and sent the PDF to everyone who earned their free copy by using a BAA affiliate link. My tips on dealing with temporary AF blindness with this lens are easily worth the price of admission. In fact, I am considering publishing a small standalone guide on handling temporary AF blindness across all camera systems.<\/p>\n Today is Monday, November 2, 2026. It has been raining hard all night, and since 3:00am it has poured monsoon-like with high winds, thunder, and lightning. Most readers will not be shocked to learn that Bob and I will still be heading down to the lake in hopes of finding something \u2014 anything \u2014 to photograph! Today marks my 49th consecutive morning of bird photography; I haven’t missed a single day out in the field since returning from Long Island on Sunday, September 13.<\/p>\n Later today, I will be finishing work on a 400\u2013800mm YouTube video, optimizing more a7R VI and 600mm f\/6.3 images, and continuing my deep dive into the compromises that serious bird photographers face with the a7R VI’s lower price tag. As usual, Arash Hazeghi has been incredibly helpful by explaining the technical differences between this new camera body and the flagship a1-series models. Stay tuned to learn whether the a7R VI is the right camera for your needs!<\/p>\n If an item \u2014 a Delkin flash card or reader<\/a>, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro<\/a>, or a Wimberley lens plate <\/a> or low foot<\/a> — for example, that is available from B&H and\/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and\/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation. <\/p>\n Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net<\/a>, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.<\/a> If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.<\/p>\n This You Tube video blog post took three hours to prepare not including the time spent photographing, picking my keepers, and optimizing the images. Consider using the BAA Tip Jar — it never costs you a single penny to help me out. <\/p>\n If you are like me, you enjoy the convenience of shopping online at Amazon without having to drive into town. The prices are competitive, and you can return anything you purchase for any reason (as long as you have not wrecked it). <\/p>\n If you enjoy learning from the blog posts, the YouTube videos, and the Instagram posts, or simply love being inspired by the images, the simplest and easiest way to support my efforts at BIRDS AS ART at no cost to you, is to use my generic Amazon link:<\/p>\n Whenever you make your routine household purchases \u2014 from groceries and coffee to backup batteries, household supplies, or electronics, making it a habit to click on our link first helps keep things running smoothly here. And again, it never costs you one penny to help me out. <\/p>\n Click here<\/a> or on the Great (Photographic Accessory) Stuff<\/em> tab on the lower, orange-yellow menu bar at the top of each blog post to learn about my favorite photo accessories. And more. <\/p>\n This image was created on 31 October 2026 down by the lake near my home. Seated in the front seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB<\/a>-supported Sony FE 600mm f\/4 GM OSS Lens<\/a> with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter<\/a> (a 1200mm) and the alleged poor man’s a-1 ii, the Sony a7R VI Mirrorless Camera<\/a>. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: ISO 1600: 1\/2000 sec. at f\/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:09:57am on a sunny morning. <\/p>\n Wide\/AF-C with Bird Eye\/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly.<\/p>\n Be sure to click on the image to see the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. <\/p>\nGemini<\/h3>\n
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Support BIRDS AS ART with your Everyday Online Shopping<\/h3>\n
Using the BAA Tip Jar Costs You Nothing<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\n \n \n \n Image #1: Western Cattle Egret foraging in relatively tall grasses on the North Field
\nImage copyright 2026 Arthur Morris\/BIRDS AS ART