Greylag Goose in attack mode

 with the new Canon R62 and 400DO2 with 2x 

Greylag Geese and light

 

A new lens tested on local wildlife

 Have been looking for a lens that focuses closer then my current 400 DO 2 which is a bit limited on small insects only having a close focus of 3.3m and is also light weight enough to carry around all day in summer - contemplated the Canon RF 100-500 but at nearly £3000 its a daft investment for the summer so I started looking at the new RF 100-400 lens - it focuses down to 0.88m and weighs just 635gms measuring 8x16.5cms but would the quality be good enough; a recent review by Duade Paton https://youtu.be/jVdQT0m3lok sounded very promising for close subjects - Clifton Cameras (no affiliation) https://www.cliftoncameras.co.uk/ were doing it at £650 with free delivery, I opted for 305 days but it came the day after ordering, first class service -- at £650 it costs less than 10% of the price of my 400 DO 2 which is currently £6729! so just how good could it be? Its not weather sealed and Canon skimp and don't give you a lens hood and there is no tripod collar but at they weight who needs a tripod -- 

The last 3 days have been pretty dire light wise but had a go at my garden Wood Mice and a few soft targets at Waters' Edge on 3200 ISO mainly, all with the Canon R6 -I have been surprised at the results - here is a selection - it certainly seems to live up to the review and looking forward to trying it out on some butterflies and odes come the spring 

two slightly dodgy geese

a Lesser White-fronted Goose look alike at Alkborough of late is likely a hybrid of some time or with some odd genes; superficially like a Lesser White-front but with a longer bill and restricted white on the forecrown it is still small enough to attract attention but its Greylag buddies are not the best companions - also around for a while is a smaller Canada Goose again probably the result of some hybrid inbreeding in the local Canada Goose population - these feral/naturalised geese are really a nightmare 

yu can tell things are bad

when Greylags are on the menu

autumnal Greylags

Canon 5D3 with 300 2.82 and 2x3

a nice combo when things are close enough

rubirostris type Greylag again?

guessing this is the bird I had a couple of winters back at Barton with the local Greylags;

Greylags

just testing the AF on the 5D3 when these flew in -- 500 f4 and 1.4x

eastern (ish) Greylag

a rubirostris type Greylag Goose at least in bare part coloration on the local patch yesterday -- it was alone and not associating with all the other Greylags of which the first broods emerged today!