Canon 7d Mk2 and the new 100-400mm Mk2

Today I used the Canon 7d Mk 2 with the new 100-400mm Mk2 lens for the first time. The new lens is a huge improvement on its predecessor. I still have my old 100-400, but avoid using it unless I have to as it is not as good as the straight 400 f5.6 or the 300mm f4. Now I have a zoom lens I can use with confidence and with the 1.6x chip of the 7d it is a fantastic lens range for hide use without the weight and bulk of the 200-400 (and cost). It has always been a gap in Canons lens range that I have tried to fill with Sigma or Tamron lenses, but been disappointed. When working from a hide the lack of ability to photograph small birds coming to a feeder and then zoom back for a larger Jay or Woodpecker has meant setting up for one or the other. Now I can do both. Today’s pictures are very sharp and I am expecting it to become a much used combination.

Welney

I went across to Welney Wildfowl and Wetland Reserve in Norfolk for the day recently. The photography inside the reserve was not so good. There are large flocks of Black-tailed godwits at a distance from the hides, which were spectacular when they took off as a group and the occasional fly past by ducks, but that was all. Outside on the road however was a fantastic display of at least 5 barn owls. They were there when I arrived about 08:00 and when I left the reserve in the early afternoon. They were easy to photograph on the fence posts and in the grass, but flight shots were very difficult as the strong wind meant their backs were nearly always towards me.

Black-tailed godwits. Canon 7d, Mk2. 800mm f5.6 lens

Northern pochard. Canon 7d, Mk2. 800mm f5.6 lens

Mallard. Canon 7d, Mk2. 800mm f5.6 lens

Barn owl. Canon 7d, Mk2. 800mm f5.6 lens

Water rail

I used to feed Water rail with casters (pupae of maggots) purchased from fishing tackle shops by the pint, but always suspected they did not really like them that much. When conditions were cold and tough they would eat them, but with a lack of enthusiasm. These days I use the freeze dried mealworms sold by pet shops and garden centres for feeding birds. Water rails are far keener on these. I encouraged the bird to walk a small plank submerged under the water and built my props on top of it, placing the mealworms at the far end. They soon discover them and come to eat every 5 to 10 minutes posing well for the camera.

The site is very photogenic, but wet. To avoid lying down in the damp I used a right angled finder so I could sit on a stool and look down at the camera which was a ground level. It means being bent double in a very uncomfortable position when the bird arrives, but seemed better than getting soaked lying in the shallow water.

All taken with the Canon EOS 1dx and the 800mm f5.8 lens.