All the woodpeckers look fine, including exposure wise. Lovely bokeh in the bg as well.

You would expect that focus is more critical with a wide open aperture, so that much is predictable.

Are you able to estimate the distance back or forwards by which the focus is out? Not that the numbers are the issue, just the consistency.

Is it only autofocus that is out (and not manual focus)? Have you tried manually focussing this lens to see what happens?

It is curious that this lens, and no other, behaves in such a way on the same body with the same settings.

The plain red ladybird takes my fancy, with the ugly duckling (bugling?) at No. 10 as 2nd. Are plain red ladybirds common?

900mm not enough?!

Some keepers in there Cliff. While it's heartening to see those heritage assets that are in good nick, it's sobering to see what is rusting away, neglected, alongside...

They are good banksia shots indeed, but my favourite would be the eucalyptus caesia that features in #3 Moult. Fascinating plants, all the eucalypts (including 'Dual Cone', of course ).

What an alien the first one is! Tremendous detail in the shot - it's so sharp.

Could the last be a stink bug or a harlequin?

+1 on Alan's comments - the first has the best light too, as well as your good timing Roger.

I hear you about the heavy crop, but do you think it would take another cut off the bottom perhaps?

2 and 3 would be my picks also Barrie.

I really like the symmetry of the second.