Do you know Tokina AT-X 840 AF II ?… help me to get started on using it for bird photography?

I just bought this Tokina AF 80-400, for bird photo and any advice or instruction is very wellcome.
Also, does anybody know how can I take the tripod socket ring away?… is making the lens a little to heavy…
In this lens box, it comes as well a BH- 724 hood… should I allways use it as recommended by the brand?
If you help me well, I will not only give you the 10 points for the best answer… if you give me your e mail address, I’ll send you the best bird picture from Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, next saturday…

First you should keep the lens mount on the lens. Mounting a heavy lens (2.3lbs) on your camera can cause premature wear on the body and make the lens mount loose and have a source for light leak. The heavier of the two devices should be the one supported by the tripod. This is really important if your camera body is plastic. Get a monopod or tripod with quick connect to carry around. Shoot at F/8 as much as possible for best speed and clarity. This is usually the sweetspot for most telephoto lenses.

You should get a 72mm UV or Daylight filter to protect the lens. The hood is necessary to reduce lens flare when shooting into the direction of a strong light source (the sun). You don’t need it when shooting with your back to the sun.