I'm with you in respecting good bird phorographers! It's hard. I'm lucky to catch anything usable. And even then, I have to most of them into a 'artistic impression' of a bird rather than a photographic study. I think a lot of big lenses are involved in the great photos!
Yes, they are. I have walked around with 600, 800 and even 1200mm lenses in the past, they are hugely expensive but you can rent them, but it doesn't suit my way of photographing. I just like to walk around and take photos of what strikes me, I don't go out with the intention of photographing something specific. Carrying around the big artillery all the time just isn't practical for me. I will just have to up my sneeking abilities 8-).
Wow, those are big lenses. They would be a big investment to buy and a specific commitment to use.. I'm with you in preferring to walk around.
I never bought lenses that long, but I did rent and borrow them on occasion, to see what it was like using them.
It's nice that you can rent them, rather than buy one and find out it's just your style. In the Everglades National Park, I was on a paved trail, taking in the sights and came across two men with fancy cameras, huge lenses, big tripods, and lots of gear in carts. They were there to get magazine-quality photos of bitterns, rails, and other birds that are hard to find, let alone photograph. But they were having trouble because the birds were too close for their long lenses!
With long, heavy glass you have to wait in shelter and that is a specific "way of life".
Yes. Not my way of photographing at all.