Surf Scoter: York County, Maine, USA, November 2026 — As I have said many times, bird and wildlife photography is all about being in the right place at the right time and ready. You cannot make the photo happen. You just have to be there when it happens, and be ready with your camera. I went down to the beach yesterday, even though the light was not great, in the chance there might be some sea ducks in close to the access road where it crosses the tidal creek or out along the point where the creek enters the river behind the dunes. I followed a Common Loon out to the point and found a few more Loons, good numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers, Grebes, female Eiders, and a lot of gulls where the waters meet, mostly too far out for satisfying photography. But then a duck, I was not even sure what it was, took flight and circled. I got a few shots panning with it in my normal birds and wildlife mode, but when it turned and headed back toward me and in closer, I quickly switched to my flight and action mode, which ups the shutter speed to 1/2000th and changes the focus area to wide. The bird flew by me close to the water and 40 or 50 feet out. I managed to get the bird in the frame for 3 frames out of an 8-frames-per-second burst. Right place, right time, and ready! Sony a7CR with the FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 OSS zoom at 400mm. Cropped to about 1000mm effective field of view. Processed using the Wonder tool in Topaz for iPad, and finished in Photomator. This one is getting framed for my wall.

Herring Gull: York County, Maine, USA, November 2026 — We stopped at a beach on the way back from the cliff path where we saw the Harlequins and Scoters, to see if I could find any Long-tailed Ducks—which had been reported from there in the past few days. No Long-tails, but this Herring Gull was there showing off his prize, a crab of some kind. Sony a7CR with the FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 OSS zoom at 400mm. Cropped to about 650mm effective field of view. My bird and wildlife custom mode. Processed in Photomator.

White-throated Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, November 2026 — Though according to most sources, the White-throated Sparrow is common in coastal Maine year-round, this is the first one I have seen in our yard in the fall. We get them in numbers for a few weeks in the spring, but other than that, I rarely see them. Such a handsome little sparrow. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 at 400mm. Cropped to about 1000mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Topaz for iPad and Photomator.

Surf Scoter: York County, Maine, USA, November 2026 — The second shot here provides a nice comparison of a male Surf Scoter and a preening male Black Scoter. There was only one male Surf Scoter (that I saw) among the hundreds of male and female Black Scoters off the cliff path when we visited. The top photo, just for fun, is a full-frame shot so you can see how far away these birds were, taken at 600mm equivalent (APS-C mode) with the Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 OSS zoom on the Sony a7CR (so already a crop to 26mp). The second photo is a crop down to less than a megapixel, enlarged and enhanced in Topaz for the iPad and then processed in Photomator. It will not win any awards, but it is the best I could do at that distance with the camera I had in hand. 🙂 It is still only 2mp even after enlarging it in Topaz. My birds and wildlife mode.

Harlequin Ducks: Marginal Way, Perkins’ Cove, Maine, USA, November 2026 — We took a walk along the cliff path yesterday just after noon to see if we could see any sea ducks in close. We saw lots of sea ducks, but, of course, not as close as we would have liked. Harlequins are always a very special duck to see, and there were several pods of them working the water between the rafts of Black Scoters and the rocks. These were taken with the Sony a7CR and the Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 OSS zoom at 400mm with my birds and wildlife custom mode, and heavily cropped (to under 1mp to 2mp) and then processed in Topaz on the iPad to upscale and refine, and finished off in Photomator. Considering the distance to the ducks, I am happy with them. For now. I do hope to find some closer Harlequins before winter is over. 🙂

Greater Yellowlegs: Kennebunk, Maine, November 2026 — the Greater Yellowlegs are hanging in here in Southern Maine late into the season. This one, intent in the center of its ripples, above its reflection, made for an irresistible composition. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 OSS zoom at 400mm. Cropped to 3mp or about 1800mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife custom mode. Processed in Photomator.

Hen Wild Turkey: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, November 2026 — I am always startled to see a Turkey in a tree, though I know full well that they get up in them from time to time. I actually saw this one hop up into the tree. The motion was too awkward and too brief to qualify as flight. It was obviously tempted by the ripe crab apples and motivated by the fact that there were very few left on the ground under the tree. The other tree hens were eyeing the apples as well, but only this one actually made the leap. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 OSS at 237mm. My birds and wildlife custom mode. Processed in Photomator.

Hen Turkey (with beard): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, November 2026 — There is a large herd of hen turkeys hanging out in the local fields on the way to the beach. I have seen as many as 20 at the same time. This day there were only 4 but they were right next to the road. When I stopped for some photos out the car window, they casually walked ahead of the car and across the road in front of me to reach a crabapple tree. They danced around it looking for fallen apples. One even hopped up into the tree to reach them. Only about 10% of hen turkeys grow the chest beard, and this one is particularly well developed. I am often dissatisfied with my turkey photos, but this one, I think, does the bird justice. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 OSS zoom at 400mm. This is only a slight crop. My birds and wildlife custom mode. Processed in Photomator.

Greater Yellowlegs: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, November 2026 — Even though it is a bit late for migrating Yellowlegs, I found a group of 6 or 7 foraging in the shallows of the tidal creek behind the dunes at the mouth of the river, on a bright early November afternoon. They were catching at least two kinds of prey. This appears to be a sprat or fry of some kind, but I also have photos of completely transparent shrimp-like creatures in Yellowlegs’ long bills. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100–400 f5.6–f8 OSS zoom at 400mm. Cropped to 6 mp or about 1200mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife custom mode. Processed in Photomator.

Red-throated Loons (adult and juvenile): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, November 2026 — As I mentioned a few days ago, a few winter ducks are coming in. These two were at the mouth of the river where the tidal creek comes in. An adult and a juvenile Red-throated Loon. The Commons will come soon and stay for the winter. The Red-throats might or might not stay. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100–400 f5.6–f8 OSS zoom at 400mm. Cropped to 5 mp or about 1400mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.