Very nice. If you want to check out a really neat website for backyard birds, check out www.pugetsoundbackyardbirds.com.

I would eliminate the tiger. The other images make me linger longer to study them, admire the composition, etc. The tiger shot is direct flash and not doing anything special.

Did you know it was a Nashville Warbler because it chirps country music? :)

I have used www.wetransfer.com for several years now, and it works great. One can send up to 2 gigs of material for free.

You don't have to be able to outrun the bear, you just have to be able to outrun the other photographers. And I would take a hershy bar to drop in their back pocket as you run past them (just to make sure.)

Looks like a Northern Harrier to me.

I suspect that you need a greater Depth of Field than 5.6 is giving you. Would see what f8 or f11 will do for you. You want all three rows in sharp focus.

If you have time to visit the Skagit Flatts (an hour north of Seattle), the snow geese are everywhere. Could also visit Deception Pass (Whidbey Island) as it's only another 30 minutes from the snow geese.

Many churches have this ritual, which include giving each child a new backpack and praying for a good school year.

I understand that Decoration Day began in Columbus, MS, after the Civil War. Wives of fallen Confederate Soldiers were tending their graves. They noticed that no one was tending the Union graves, so they started laying flowers and tending the Union graves as well.

Springdale is getting close to God's Country: Siloam Springs! :)

I hope you remembered to use your "bridge" camera! :)

I would not take the flash or the tripod. The 24-70 should be all you need. I also suggest you take extra storage cards--in fact, one per day. Keep them back in your cabin, not with the camera. That way if you camera gets stolen, you won't lose your photography. (You can replace the camera, but not the photos.) I had a friend that went on a wonderful safari. She had her camera stolen from her hotel at the end of her trip and lost all her pictures.

It's where I'm headed today.

I bought my D700 in Dec 2010, along with a 24-70 (2.8) and 70-200 (2.8). This is my first DLSR after having shot film camera's all my life. Though I had been using a point and shoot digital camera for a number of years. This was my retirement gift to myself. Since then, I have also purchased the 105 (2.8) and a 50 (1.8). Also have the SB700 and SB910 and an assortment of filters and a good tripod. I told myself I was not allowed to upgrade to a better camera body until I fully understood the D700. Now, I am getting close, but have to decide between the D750 follow-on or the 200-500. Since I shoot everything from BIF to sports, I really need more reach than my 70-200 with a 2.0TC. So I suspect it will be another year with my D700. But I love the camera and am still not using it to it's full potential.