Northern Cardinal (female), Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I mentioned the skulking habits of our neighborhood Cardinals yesterday when posting a photo of the male. This is his mate working the ground under the feeders yesterday. She perches only a moment on her way in and way out, but spends the rest of her time on the ground in the leaf litter. A beautiful bird but a photographic challenge. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Northern Cardinal, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — When the Cardinals come to our yard them seem to like to skulk around in the underbrush under the pines by my photo blind. They only perch high for seconds coming and going and I have yet to see them sing from our yard, though I can hear them singing from the yards and woods around us. The male will use one of the feeders and has made several attempts to figure out how to get to the bird bath for a drink…so far without success. Still, I am always happy to see them. Who wouldn’t be? Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Brown Creeper, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I am seeing a lot of Brown Creepers this spring. I saw one in early March at Roger’s Pond Park (when the park was still open, pre-pandemic closures), and I have seen them in April in the forest on both sides of lower Brown Street on my neighborhood walks. Yesterday, to my surprise and delight, one came and worked the Pines right in front of my photo blind. Still not as close as I would like and no easier to catch as it moved rapidly up the tree trunks, but as close as I have ever seen one (not counting the window stunned creeper we found on the deck one morning last year). Great little bird. I have lots of photos of their near relatives, probably a dozen different species, from Central and South American rain and cloud forests…but they are much bigger birds and easier to see, since the move in mixed feeding flocks with the bright and vocal tanagers. Our creeper is solitary and mostly silent. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Cropped considerably. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Pine Warbler, Kennebunk Maine, USA — Pine Warblers have a reputation, among the wood warblers of North America, of being one of the few who will come to feeders…specifically to suet. The Pines we are hosting this spring also seem to be quite fond of dried mealworms. They pick at the broken bits in the feeder, but they will take a whole mealworm away to work on it in private, as this one is in the process of doing. Taken from my backyard photo blind feeder station. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent (cropped to 1680mm equivalent). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Eastern Bluebird, Kennebunk, Maine, USA. — My backyard photo blind provides a great opportunity to observe and photograph the common birds of my neighborhood. Here are the male and female of one of the pairs of Eastern Bluebirds that frequent the mealworm feeders in our yard. The two photos were taken moments apart at the same feeding station, so the light is uniform, and you can really see and appreciate the plumage differences. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. (880mm cropped). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Pine Warbler, Kennebunk, Maine, USA. Only a few days ago I was surprised to see a Pine Warbler in our yard at all…a first-ever-event…now we have them coming to our deck, right outside the windows, and singing by the blind. How great is that! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent (cropped to yield something like a 1700mm field of view). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications, Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Eastern Bluebird, Kennebunk, Maine, USA. The hanging bird bath (Audubon brand from Amazon) has been a big hit so far at my feeding station by my photo blind. I have yet to see a bird bathing in it, but they drink from it every day. This male Eastern Bluebird was heavy enough to make the hanging bath rotate slowly as the bird hopped around, but it is remarkably stable. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr And Apple Photos. Check out the blue on this remarkably blue male. In close up photos like these you can see the texture of the blue. To the naked eye it is just eye-poppingly blue!

We have several Chipping Sparrows coming to the new feeders near the photo blind. They come up on the deck too, much more this year than in year’s past. I am sure, that is, at least in part, because until this spring I fed only Black-oil Sunflower seeds…this spring, mainly due to the difficulty in obtaining bird seed with a “stay at home” order in place…I am feeding a mix. The sparrows and the finches seem to greatly prefer the mix. I have lots of natural perches around the feeders by the blind, which makes for some nice shots as the birds come and go. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.