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Owl images are amazing. Are you using "Group" AF on your D500?

From my early May 2018 visit to the Osprey nest site in Southern Maryland. Violet had been staying on the nest for a week or so. Victor began delivering headless fish for her consumption then he would perch on a limb high above the nest box. Based on what we had been observing the last several seasons, these were signs that Violet was incubating eggs and Victor was transitioning to the role of provider and protector.
On the morning of May 2nd, I was positioned on a dock, one hundred feet or so from the nest box. Violet eyeballed me, gave her usual "I know that you are there" call then returned to brooding duties. Victor was on his high perch performing guard duty. Violet suddenly stood, looked toward the center of the creek and shrieked a high pitched piercing call. Victor immediately took to wing and headed in the direction that Violet was looking. I spotted their target, another Osprey (Third Bird) flying directly toward the nest box at low level. Victor flew high, did a 180 degree turn, tucked his wings and dove on Third Bird. Victor locked his talons on Third Bird's leg resulting in both tumbling unceremoniously into the creek. They recovered quickly and Victor (on the left in the second image) provided some obviously very opinionated counseling to Third Bird before escorting her out of the area. We think that Third Bird might be an unpaired inexperienced breeder looking to seduce Victor and take over the nest box. Again, Mother Nature (and this addictive obsession with photography) provided an opportunity to be part of an amazing wildlife adventure.

Nikon D500, Nikkor 300mm f4 PF E + 1.4 T.C. Manual Mode, 1/2500 at f6.3, auto ISO on. (camera choose ISO 2000 for talon pix, 1000 for the birds in water) +33 exposure compensation.

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...from brooding. A few days ago I opened the topic "Special Delivery" with an image of an Osprey pair (and their 2018 chick) that I have been fortunate enough to follow since early 2014. The nest box is on my brothers property in Southern Maryland. I visit as often as I can. Victor and Violet have successfully raised and fledged nine chicks since 2014. After migrating back to the nest box in mid-March, housekeeping and mating begins...both pretty much non-stop. Both birds come and go often, the nest box remaining empty for hours at a time. Both can be seen in nearby trees eating recently caught fish. In late April their behavior changes a bit. Violet begins spending most of her time at the nest and Victor begins delivering headless fish to her. We sense that this indicates that she has begun the brooding process. Several times a day Violet becomes quite vocal and soon after Victor appears at the nest box, without a fish. They seem to exchange pleasantries for a few minutes then Violet launches. Victor settles on the eggs. These images were made in early May of 2018. Violet (females sport a feather "necklace" on their breast) generally circles the nest box several times before flying across the creek disappearing in the trees. She always returns within an hour or so, they trade places...and her brooding duties resume. Victor goes fishing.

Nikon D500, Nikkor 300mm f4 PF E + 1.4 T.C.
These were all manual mode exposures with auto ISO set to on. ISO's varied from 500 to 1250 for these images. 1/2500 at f6.3 with +1 exposure compensation. Matrix metering. Group AF.

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Victor has returned to his Southern Maryland nest box in mid-March for the last 5 seasons. Actually several years arriving on the 17th. Perhaps the arrival date varies by destination. Violet arrives about two weeks later.

Yes they do. Victor always returns within a day or two of the Ides of March. He does a bit of housekeeping/remodeling and resting from his long migration. Violet returns about two weeks later...then the fun begins, mating, mating, mating. I’ll post more Victor/Violet images in new topics.

Victor delivers a meal to Violet and little Zebulon. This image was made in early July, Zebulon fledged in late August. Osprey are Diurnal Raptors, predatory and carnivorous with sharp talons and hooked bills for grasping. Males are the primary hunters (fisherman?) when Mom is brooding eggs and tending to chicks. Fish are almost always delivered headless. Dad takes his fresh catch to a favorite limb and devours the head (the most nourishing part) before bringing the filets to the nest. It takes a bunch of protien for him to be able to catch enough fish to keep Mom and Baby nourished, so he eats first. I've been fortunate to have been able to watch this pair for five seasons. They pair for life and return to the same nest site every year. Victor (males have all white breast feathers) and Violet (females have dark "necklace" breast feathers) were named when they appeared at a new nest box that my brother installed in a small creek in southern Maryland. Two chicks the first season (Vinny and Vergil) successfully fledged.The second season chicks, Walter and Wilma also fledged successfully. Xenia and Xavier were next (2016), Yolanda and Yoda (2017) and little Zebulon for 2018. There were two eggs in this seasons nest but sadly, one did not hatch. The University of Maryland visits the new chicks shortly after hatching, records their health, sex and bands them. The 2019 chicks will have names beginning with the letter "A". Get it?

Nikon D500, 300mm f4 PF E with 1.4 TC. 1/3000 @ f5.6 ISO 3200

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The Ring-billed Gull is real...the sky isn't. I made it "grumpy" in Photoshop. Gulls are marvelous targets of opportunity for practicing BIF imaging. Dean

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Close, this is almost full frame at 200mm. And these guys have 4ft plus wingspans. I use matrix (Nikon D300s) and try to bump exposure compensation +1 full stop anytime I shoot BIF against the sky, always a crap shoot but I get nicer histograms/shadow detail.
Dean

Oh...thank you. I use both Sibley and Peterson, neither showed the red spot.
Dean

I normally delete "bird butt" shots, however, this bird spotted something as he flew by, threw out the speed brakes and performed a gorgeous diving U turn into the river. I think that this is a Great Black-backed Gull. The red spot on the bill is proving to be a head scratcher. Verification requested. Taken at the mouth of the Cape Fear River at the Atlantic near Wilmington NC.
Dean

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Sheesh

Finally a (kinda) clear sky here in dreary old western Pennsylvania. Clouds to the north prevented polar alignment for the Ioptron Sky Tracker Pro so pointed the birding rig at the 10 day old waxing gibbous (71%) moon. Nikon D700, Nikon 200-400mm + 1.4TC. Stacked 8 images in PS, selective contrast on the craters and a High Pass filter treatment. The Copernicus crater is at the center just peeking out of the terminator.
Dean

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You do not have to go far. Close to the bridge coming from the mainland is a no longer used outdoor auditorium. There is an unpaved parking lot in front of it. Walk around the structures, you'll come to a big pond surrounded by local foliage. The trees are full of egrets and herons. Ospreys fish in the pond, an opportunity to practice your "bird in flight" skills. Many species of Warblers when migrating. The water provides excellent opportunities to image turtles and Alligators on cool sunny days. Take a chair, tripod and a lunch...have fun.
Dean

Thanks...gotta love a dark sky. Wish that I could capture a bit of detail in the center. My choice of exposure blew the highlights. I tried to use selective processing on the center...it turned an ugly gray.
Dean