Do NOT leave your camera in a hot car!!!

Store it in an insulated bag, put it in a shady area pf the car and cover it with a towel, or take it along in to the store. It's not that heavy!

I just had an external hard drive fail. It had thousands of images plus important records. Please, please, please back up your files - use multiple external hard drives that can easily be connected to another computer. Some people recommend three backups  of important files.

Flowers are easier to photograph than birds because they don't fly away. But they do blow in the wind. If you don't have a good wind screen - find another subject.

Always request permission to step on to private property. Some of these signs really mean what they say. (But you can always stand across the street and use a telephoto lens.)

Lean your back and shoulder firmly against a solid tree or pole; Use a beanbag or even a folded sweater; The car windowsill is good - but remember to turn off the motor!

If you're going to be spending several hours out in the field in search of birds or critters you will of course have camera, tripod, extra batteries, water, snacks, etc. But something else you might need to take is toilet paper. Just sayin'.

We all love watching birds through the kitchen window. Here are some tips: remove the screen, open the window if possible, put the front of the lens as close to a closed window as possible (double-paned windows have a bad influence on focus)- and for goodness sake, clean the window.