I did a search and apparently it's a thing with the Z7ii on electronic shutter, so I'll need to try to duplicate conditions and shoot again now that I've changed it from automatic to strictly mechanical shutter. Makes sense since I learned that the shutters operate kind of like mini-blinds. Must read more about it.

Here's the original before the half blind editor person screwed with it.

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So... got my slice and dice done and I had to wait a couple days till the no unnecessary moving restriction was gone, tomorrow is my first followup appointment. It's still very annoying, to say the least. If this eyelid surgery was successful, then I'll have to wait at least ninety days for the final cataract surgery.

I'm guessing the lady bluebird set up housekeeping in one of the boxes at the location I'm visiting, since I only saw the male this time. If so, it will be wonderful to see them actually being used by bluebirds as so many are not. I haven't done Paul's homework assignment yet, but will soon be doing so. I did get a couple better shots, but he didn't cooperate as well this time by sitting on the glove while I had the camera pointed in his direction. Also got a mocker and missed a goldfinch. Any ideas what the banding in the background comes from?:

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It's eye surgery, so I've been kind of holding off on learning about my new camera, but hopefully I'll be able to give the manual, the David Busch book, and the store of knowledge here on UHH more attention during recovery. Thanks for the good wishes and good advice... I'll be back at it as soon as possible.

We went for a picnic last evening and I grabbed a couple of cameras on the way out (without really looking at them). I knew one had an 18-140 on it and figured that would be the one I would use for the most part. I had received my new (to me) FTZ ii adapter and put an old Tamron 16-300 lens on the other camera and forgot about it thinking I still had the 50-250 which helps if the 140 isn't enough. Well, it turns out the Tamron is really soft at the long end and isn't really compatible with the FTZ anyway, so when a pair of bluebirds returned to the area, I was totally unprepared and of course, something out of the ordinary occurred. We were visiting the local Master Gardener's plot where they had just put up a wire frame made of fence wire, bamboo and zip ties. Whoever did it just left one of their gloves on each upright about six feet off the ground. So, I said all that just to tell you I got this rather soft shot which could have been so much better if I'd spend a couple minutes looking at what I'm taking and what I might actually need. Tomorrow I'm having surgery that will limit getting around for a couple days, so I'm hoping the bluebirds have the decency to hang around till I get back to visit them again with a longer lens:

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Thanks to all for the views and comments!

Wonderful set!

Thanks for the comments!

Thanks to all for the views and responses!

No, but I believe the birds you're referring to can be found on the western shores of Lake Michigan. You got me curious and I looked up their range... was surprised to find there were any in North America:

https://www.birds-of-north-america.net/Great_Tit.html

😉

She planted these somewhere around twenty years ago and they've been back every year since. She also planted one of the darker ones at the same time. That one had different leaves and the bloom schedule seemed a little staggered between the two. The darker one died out four or five years ago. We're waiting for peonies next, I think.

Not nearly enough reach to do these little beauties justice, but I was still happy with the highly cropped results. All three files are well under 1mb:

The closest I came to getting them both in the same frame

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Radial filter to simulate bokeh

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Software also removed a telephone pole growing out of her head

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You're not alone... nice shots!

... came back for yet another year:

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A herd of turtles... nice shots!

Nice shot! Get a haircut and go for ice cream all in one stop.