I did it.

After 3 months spending most of my free time slaving away around the house, I lived up to the commitment I'd made to myself and, overcast skies notwithstanding, ventured out to make photographs this morning. The day wasn't without its minor complications: I had to stop and think about some camera settings, finding it necessary to dig deep into my memory in order to make the adjustments, then having to deal with the fact that the little birds at my first stop I really wanted to shoot were apparently in no mood to pose (a not uncommon problem with the smaller winged ones) , and of course there were those pesky mosquitos. That first stop yielded but a couple of wildflower shots, otherwise - zilch.

The second stop was certainly better, making images of a White Peacock (butterly), a wasp, and spending several minutes with some absurdly tame (and cooperative) White Ibis. The Ibis were perched on a bridge railing out over the pond and, not wanting images with the railing, I decided to work them tight.

It makes for an interesting challenge to see how close I can get to many of subjects and was glad I brought along my extension tubes, using both the 25mm + 12mm tubes to shorten up the minimum focusing distance.

Made a few "head & shoulders" portraits:

Moving slowly and deliberately closer to get some even tighter shots:

. . . even a "foot study"

It was great to be out with the birds again!