Thank you kind Sir !

Got to say it doesn't look much on here compared to some other forums where the shot fills the screen - I wonder why linked photos are reduced so dramatically here ? Strange.

The shot with the Malaysian flag in the background may not be the sharpest but I really like it - likewise the pit-lane crew shot. Nice set.

Excellent set .... I love the bird shots of course Sharp & detailed.

A lovely day here it was yesterday, to be sure ! Topped out at 22C and sunny blue skies !

So not a day to be in work .. and of course I wasn't. No I prefer to be birding on days like that. However this bird is not one you'll typically find living close to the city unless it's as a guard bird or in a zoo. And in this case it was the later, the Shanghai Wild Animal Park. Anyway more of that later but this is the first of roughly 150 shots of have of this bright young thing right after I frightened his date off !

The fluorescent blues were amazing as we enter prime mating season - I even had to tone them down in PP as people would never believe they were real !

It looks much better here by the way as the forum has reduced it's size and sharpness : link

The 55-300 is the obvious suggestion and it's a great value for money lens. You may also consider the M 400/5.6 manual focus of course (and a little prone to PF) but very very sharp !

Lovely shot Mark .. you've got to love the wee mites, they have the patience of an angel where togs are concerned

#3 & #4 are just gorgeous Gaz. #1 won't load for me .. but it could be a large pic and the internet here is really slow so it times out.

The weather here has been awful (until yesterday and today when it hit 22C and dry - mostly) but at least last Sunday was 13C and dry, not too bad ... except it brought out the masses into Changfeng park where I went birding, along with lovers, runners, fitness freaks, kung-fu practitioners, dueting would-be Chinese opera artists, musicians, linguists practising their French/English/German in the quiet shady areas and children of every size variety and hue you could imagine - along with all the vendors hawking their wares. The birds were higggggh up in the canopy and best I got was a nice White's Scaly Thrush, I wished it would have rained

I can't afford the Sigma yet (not unless I want to be lobotomised by the missus) but I've got some alternatives on the way that cost a little less and will partner the DA*300 - an old Sigma AF 400/5.6 that looks to be in great nick and a Tokina MF 300/2.8 to use the AFA x1.7 on. The better beamer is on order but will take 4-5 weeks to get here Still, even just an-snooped Metz makes a helluva difference in poor light.

Always look forward to seeing your excellent small bird shots.

Gorgeous - I just love #3 !

Thank you Bassman !

Much appreciate you commenting Snappychappy !

I believe this to be the Clearwing Moth - Hemaris Thysbe, though there are some differences, to the wings (black not red) and legs (black not a light colour) though the rest looks about right for Hemaris Thysbe. Maybe a regional variation to those found in the USA (I used Bug guide as a reference) ? If anyone can confirm that would be great ! These are heavy crops - maybe a little too heavy perhaps !

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#7 - What is this ? A wasp or a mimic ?



Thanks for looking !