Outstanding bird photography from you once again! I am stunned by the colors in the flamingo!

One thing I do now for B&H shipments (if signature is required or if I'm in doubt) is have the package delivered to either a FedEx facility (where you can pick up at your convenience during their work hours) or have it delivered to a Walgreen's drugstore (a dedicated FedEx dropoff and delivery location). So far it has worked great for me but then I don't live in a rural area.

I have the Nikon Z6 and purchased the Nikkor 24-70 f4 when I got the camera. The lens is outstanding and unless you do a lot of indoor shooting in low light, the f4 is excellent. I haven't regretted the decision one bit. Z mount lenses work much better than F mount with the FTZ adaptor in my experience so far.

Herons fighting over nest site (Lake Conestee Nature Park, Greenville, SC).

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Gotcha--I didn't see the yellow very distinctly on its breast--that's what confused me. Here's a sapsucker I got a shot of last week here in SC. And obviously you don't live anywhere close to where the ladderback is common!

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I believe the last shot is of a ladderback woodpecker (if you live in the SW U.S.); a hairy woodpecker does not have the speckles on the breast. A hairy is just a larger version of the downy--bigger in size and a longer bill.

I do a lot of bird photography and your shots always inspire me to do better! Great set, always enjoy them.

Whenever I see a collection like this, it gives me something to aspire to! Thank you for providing the link.

While in Sarasota in the early part of Nov of last year for a wedding, my wife and I took a bit of time two mornings in a row to go the Celery Fields--excellent opportunities for bird photography, particularly if you go early in the a.m. I recommend it highly if in you're the Sarasota area.

I've used the 1.4TC III with my 200-500 attached to a D500 and slow focusing is normal--probably best used for fairly static subjects mounted on a tripod and using manual focus to fine tune.

I've got a remarkably similar photo of a brown pelican taken on the Mississippi coast about a year/year and a half ago. Great shot!

I have the Tamron 90mm; to me it is sharper than the Nikkor 105mm f2.8 which I had. The Tamron is great--only sticking point is it won't work with Z6/Z7 with the FTZ adaptor--needs a firmware update and no date given for that.

Just visited there a couple of weeks ago (my mom still lives there) and took some wonderful photos of pelicans on the beach as well as some gulls, yellowlegs, herons and egrets. When we first moved there in 1969 you didn't see the diversity of birds that you do now so I really enjoy the photo opportunities when I visit. Where in Biloxi did you see the pair of bald eagles that you posted a couple of days ago? Back Bay? I've seen osprey on Biloxi Beach just east of the small craft harbor looking across to Deer Island, but no eagles.

I purchased a brand new D750 a few months back, felt like I was having trouble focusing and finally convinced myself it wasn't me it was the camera--as it turns out, it was the camera. Sent it off to Nikon and they had to do extensive repairs. I would urge you to follow the advice of experienced Nikon users on this forum, and if you're still having issues get in contact with Nikon. It just may be the camera.

I want to purchase the Nikkor 35mm F1.8 FX lens for my D500 (so I can have an equivalent "nifty-fifty", well, 52.5mm but close enough)--however, I noticed most of Nikon's prime wide angles don't have VR. Will I miss VR; that is, is it as critical for lenses at the 50mm and wider to not have it? Of course, in the film days I shot 35mm without VR or IS and did just fine but I've gotten used to the fact that I have it and now I'm wondering is it as critical as I think it is?