unlucky2 Loc: Hemet Ca.

I have/use different techniques with different cameras. The first few were shot with my Rebel and it's kit lens 55-250. the lightest setup, but lacking in "reach". JPEG's from the camera, cropped in DPP.

With the 7D I prefer to use priority modes and bracket. With a fast, large, CF card and no buffer problems its kind of a "spray and pray" technique. Auto Iso with limits set and depending on purpose (DOF or stop motion) I use aperture or shutter priority. The Wigeons taking flight was shot in aperture priority with 2 stop bracketing. The lens was a 400mm 5.6 without IS.

The Eagles were captured with my 5DSR, 100-400 mkll. This is a very heavy setup with buffer overrun issues and requires a very different approach than the 7D. I find that when I try to stay rigid and solid the majority of the pictures will be blurry, but when I do not worry about stability, and stay lose and fluid, the majority of my pic's are acceptable. With both the 7D and 5DSR I prefer CR2 (raw) and pp in cc. Blurry out of focus shots are for me unsalvageable, all others retain glimmers of hope.
If I think about composition, I will blow highlights. If I concentrate on exposure I blow composition. With BIF its kinda of take what you got and be happy, for now.

Brown

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Turkey Vulture

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Wigeon taking flight

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Bald Eagle

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Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

When you learn how to shoot in manual, you will not blow anything:)

unlucky2 Loc: Hemet Ca.

Your a better man than I Nalu. I can only imagine the your amazing dexterity, adjusting aperture, shutter speed and iso all the while keeping a bird in flight in sharp focus. When you shoot in manual does that also include manual focus? amazing. I often help my auto focus with minor adjustment to the focus ring with the ring finger of my left hand and zoom with the thumb and fore finger. Do you do the same and adjust aperture, shutter and iso with your right hand while holding back button focus?

I shoot manual a lot, but I use all the tools available to me when required, I find it increase the number of keepers by doing so.

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

Of coarse there are conditions when "auto" is advantageous. But your best photography for birds is going to be when the sun is at your back with a spread of no more than 45 degrees. With the sun at your back, exposure should not vary much, except adjustments need to be made for white, or black, subjects (egret vs raven). A plus stop for black, a minus stop for white (approximately. I have heard of guys setting up in a parking lot, taking a shot of a white car to set exposure avoiding the blinkies. And work with that exposure unless there is a significant change in the light. Again, working only with the sun at their back. Problem with auto, is the meter can get faked out due to varying backgrounds. Practice with it for a while and see what you think. I do not think I can focus better than AF on the camera, especially for moving objects.

Just my take.

Most important, have fun!