...Are you mocking me?

Okay, first of all, thanks to Sue (Journey Through Time) for suggesting that I name the new lens. For the time being, I've settled on Big Daddy. I am open to other more creative suggestions, of course...

So, Big Daddy (BD) and I went out on our first field trip this afternoon (after putting in a half day in the office, including an hour with my favorite client!) After intermittent rain for the last few days, we were somewhat hampered with muddy (read: slippery) trails, so didn't go out for as long as probably needed. Still, I have to say the BD performed admirably. I purchased a Black Rapid strap to carry the camera since hanging 4 pounds of camera/lens around my neck seemed like an extremely bad idea. Good move - this strap distributes the weight really well over my shoulder and keeps the camera handy.

I always see a mocking bird along one of the trails I walk, so decided to see if I could spot him/her today. Mockers are highly territorial so chances are good that I am always seeing the same one. Sure enough, after walking for awhile, I glanced up and there he was, posing. I whipped (slowly) up the camera with BD attached and fired off a bunch of shots. I was pretty far away and hand-holding the lens almost fully zoomed out - wanted to see how well I could handle camera shake with this much weight. See for yourself ...I think this is pretty good when you consider that this lens doesn't have any image stabilization. So, I am now confident that, with more use, I'll be able to get sharp images at max zoom.

When I got home, I was treated to a visit from a large flock of cedar waxwings for the second time this week! They were back in the cedars in the woods behind our house - too far away, even with Big Daddy, for any good shots. But, it was sheer magic to hear their calls and see those flashes of red and yellow. Pretty great way to finish off a Friday afternoon!

So, I see that a lot of you have met my friend Peg (Around the World and Back). I think she is feeling warmly welcomed to blip, thanks to all of you!

Hoping you all have fun plans for the weekend!