Overnight

I turned off the sprinklers and left the 1D/70-200 out overnight. I didn't get much, but this sparrow was at 5:49 AM, and the robin four hours later. The background blur shows the difference in lighting conditions. The sparrow is wide open at f/4, and the robin is at f/13. As the day went along the wind came up and the waving grass started setting off the motion detector, even though I have it aimed high. Just before I stopped the camera, another sparrow came by at 11:49 with a grasshopper in its beak.

I need to construct a small tube that fits over the motion detector so it doesn't get distracted by waving grass. There are wings on the sides that can be adjusted, but nothing at the top or bottom. I have taped cardboard to the top, but it is not an easy fit on the bottom, which is where I need it for this. If I can get this done, I won't have so many wasted shots and will feel better about using one of my better cameras. The 1D fired off 760 wasted shots in the two hours between the robin and the second sparrow.

To be clear, magpies, robins and sparrows are fine for test subjects. What I really want perched on the fence are bluebirds, meadowlarks and flickers.