I have a Canon 350D with (usually) a Sigma 170-500 APO on the front, but I often find that for shrews, voles and mice in undergrowth my Canon 35-80 and a bit of stealth to get in very close is better.
My wife is experimenting with digiscoping using her Canon Ixus 55 and got some good stuff on the Hayle White-billed Diver while I was still trying to work out the quickest way to get over to where everyone else had it point-blank.
I took a couple of days off at the start of this week to celebrate Marion's birthday, won't spoil the effect by telling you which one. One present was an Iberian Chiffchaff (380 for her) but I'm not sure she really appreciated it....
Not much to report on the mammal front apart from finally nailing Wood Mouse over the weekend along yet another stretch of Basingstoke Canal at Claycart Bottom. I've since seen another near Dogmersfield but no pix yet. I nearly photographed a Common Shrew but a couple came along and wanted to tell me all about the heron round the next corner.
List at end April stands at 31, the April additions being Noctule, Natterer's and Common Pipistrelle Bat, Red Deer P, Bottlenose Dolphin, Red Squirrel P, Water Shrew, Common Shrew, Wood Mouse. Total photographed is now 21.
My brother reported a small fox cub in his back garden the other afternoon, so a stakeout there is a likely near future activity.
John