Help needed, birding with a D5000.

Hi, Thanks for your reply, I have tried lots of different settings from full auto to full manual but I can`t seem to get very sharp out of the camera, all of my shots are handheld which I realise with this lens may be part of the problem hence the Nikon VR option, I hate using a tripod but will be trying a monopod next time out,

I will be honest I am still learning with the technical side of photography but have refered to the manual a lot for settings.