[Brightcolours]

Nope, mine would be with me, to put the camera and lens in when the downpour started!

[Arthur Macmillan]

During those rains, the equipement stays in the bags/hotels, when birding ;-), so perhaps not

  Does it ?? ........ I see it as being out in glorious conditions miles from the hotel taking great colourful birding images  when all of a sudden .......

......  BERBATABOOM ...... and you get 4 inches of rain in an hour that just came out of the blue !!

   Perhaps Mac will tell us how it is ??

Thanks, Dave!  You pretty much said it all.  You go out when the light is sufficient, and hope for the best!  I do stop shooting when it starts raining.  And start back up when it stops.  I have developed a possibly overly complicated system for storing my gear, as well.  That is whole topic unto itself!

-Mac

[Arthur Macmillan]

Well, as overwrought and non-linear as this process may have seemed.  I was able to come to this conclusion:  Cindy would be pretty well served by simply getting a 90D body.  It allows a good reach while using a lens about as light as one can get away with for the reach that it has.  

One reason I strayed a little is that I, personally, could live with a little more weight.  And I, personally, am interested in a modern mirrorless system.  Still, I cannot ignore the fact most of the top local bird photographers are using Nikon D500's, or Canon 7D Mark II's.  Which is to say DSLR's.

I'm not afraid to be different.  We are all going to be using mirrorless cameras in 5 years, most likely.  It just comes down to cost, for now.

Thanks for all your help.  I certainly read all of your comments an appreciate them.  BTW....Pollen?  I am on the beach several times a week.  I never have the camera any lower than around my neck!  And I still freak out because I see grains of sand on my camera or in the grooves on the lens' focus ring!  Listen Fuji Man:  Never, ever, set foot on the beach without a hood, should I say, "sand ferring", on your lens!  I say this, only in the spirit of wanting to help.  The one place I never see sand is on my lens' optics!  It's a miracle!  So I tell you hoping it will be one for you as well! Take care, and good luck!

Thanks again, everyone! 

-Mac