I have the following...
PS Elements 10
PaintShop Pro x9
Affinity Photo
FastStone Image Viewer
Gimp

Affinity Photo is the best of what I have for editing, and is what I use most. The most powerful, I guess you would say. I think it does about everything that Photoshop CC can do, like stacking and stuff...perhaps not quite as good though. I would say it was $50 well spent. I was a bit disappointed with PaintShop Pro x9, especially the raw editor, which seemed pretty lame...I think PS Elements 10 was better in that respect. The cataloging feature in PSPx9 seems pretty decent, though. The FastStone and Gimp were free downloads. I haven't really spent enough time with the Gimp to bond with it, or give it an honest review. I was very impressed with the FastStone, and although you can use it for basic editing, I mainly use it for viewing and resizing, etc. Even though the FastStone was a free download, I liked it so much I was compelled to donate!

Ha! That was a good one.

I don't know if anyone already mentioned it, but I use 'back-button focus' and in AFC (continuous auto focus) mode. I also have been having better luck using 'Manual' with auto ISO (TAv for fellow Pentax users), keeping the speed up around 1/1000 s and aperture pretty much wide open (5.6 on my kit lens). I also highly recommend getting Steve Perry's eBook "Secrets to Stunning Wildlife Photography".

Nice shot! Never saw a bluebird that skinny...usually they're pretty plump.

Signatures/copyright plastered on the photograph...I think many that do this are a bit on the uppity side and have a higher opinion about their photo than they need to. Besides, I think most cameras these days allow you to embed your signature/copyright in the EXIF file.

Too much motion blur in water.

Headlight/tailight trails.

The dark sky and surrounding will probably fool your meter into exposing too long, so I would try underexposing it a couple stops, either by using manual mode or using (-) compensation in aperture priority. This will increase your shutter speed and should give you a sharper shot. As suggested, keep a wide aperture and fairly high ISO. Otherwise, you could try setting to spot metering and target a brighter spot on the bridge, just remember to set it back to normal when you're finished so you don't forget the next day.

Yes, I would go bridge camera, especially if just learning. They have all the manual and semi auto modes like a DSLR, but are more compact, you don't have to carry extra lenses with you, and are less expensive. I have a Canon SX50 HS and a Panasonic FZ200...both are good cameras, the Canon has twice the reach, but the Panasonic has a better quality lens (Leica constant f:2.8) and a slightly better viewfinder (EVF). Both take great pictures.

I usually stick with Hoya (Japan - Pro1 Digital) for CPL's and UV filters because they're relatively inexpensive and usually finish around the top of the heap in tests. Not sure how the Philippines Hoya's compare to the Japan ones...maybe someone can weigh in on that.

Corel PaintShop Pro also has camera/lens profiles. The Sigma lens selection seems to be lacking, but I have the older X9 version...perhaps the newer 2018 has more.

It only feels like the back of the bus. I have a K-3 and love it! Also have an ME-Super that I bought in 1982...still works fine, and I can use the 50mm f1.4 lens on my K-3. Recently bought a Super Program (also works fine) on eBay, mainly for the Pentax-A 35 - 70mm lens.

Wow, I just recently saw the same kind of bird...thanks for the identification. I didn't really get close enough to get a quality shot.

(Download)

Rather than mess with the saturation, I like to shoot sunsets in manual mode, and I underexpose it by 1 to 2 stops. As a result all the sunset colors come out nice and vivid, more like they appear to the naked eye. If you shoot in semi auto or auto mode, the camera sensor is fooled into keeping the shutter open until it decides enough light for proper exposure is achieved, which results in all the colors being washed out. You can get the same results by using (-) compensation in the semi auto modes.

Shouldn't that be the other way around? If shooting a white bird, shouldn't you go (-) on the compensation to keep from overexposing and blowing out the white detail, and if the bird is dark with a brighter background (backlit) shouldn't you go (+) on the compensation to show more of the detail on the darker bird, rather than just a silhouette? I could be wrong.

The Pentax K1 (and KP, for that matter) are in another league compared to the Canon and Nikon you mentioned. In my opinion Pentax delivers much more bang for the buck. I haven't actually used the Canon and Nikon mentioned, but I did pick them up on a recent trip to Sam's Club (T6i and D5600), and quite honestly they felt like toys compared to my K3...very plastic and small dark viewfinders.