Maine! Snowy action
Snowy Egrets: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — I found a group of more than dozen Great and Snowy Egrets feeding in the marsh quite close to a trail I use, and was able to work my way through the woods to the edge of the marsh to watch them as they actively hunted a small pool for 30 minutes or so. If I had had a chair I would have watched longer 🙂 There was a lot of interaction as they squabbled for fishing rights. As I have mentioned in recent Egret posts, these kinds of concentrations of Egrets are, I think, new to our area marshes in the past few years. Previously I would see an Egret here or there, always a special treat. The past two years they have been here in large numbers and often congregated in mixed feeding groups like the one I saw yesterday, the second half of summer and through early fall. I can’t testify to anything beyond the past 20 years, or to any other marshes in Maine (if memory serves there have always been larger numbers in the bigger marshes north of us). These two Snowys were playing dominance games. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator and framed in FrameMagic.
Maine! August afternoon at Rachel Carson
It was an intense August afternoon yesterday on the loop trail at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Wells, Maine. The last of our hot days for a while with a strong front moving through and building great clouds over the ocean. Sony a5100 with Sony E 10-18 f4 at 15mm equivalent. Superior Auto with Landscape Scene Mode and brightness dialed down a bit to preserve details in the clouds. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — I never realized just how close we are to the northern edge of the Tufted Titmouse range. They are so common in our backyard and in the forests around us. This one is “tuft challenged” or at least worn from the nesting season. Actually it is kind of disheveled looking overall. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! American Lady on Blazing Star
American Lady Butterfly on Northern Blazing Star: Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2024 — Both the Monarchs and American Lady butterflies are coming through southern Maine in big numbers the past two weeks. It is not a coincidence that it is also the height of the season for blooming Blazing Star which attracts both of them. As long distance migrants both need all the energy they can get. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 321mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Insect recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Wild Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — Until this year I would have said that encountering Ruby-throated Hummingbirds away from any feeder, in the wild, was very rare. This summer I have had half a dozen encounters, and gotten photos in two of them. The problem with wild sightings is that, without a feeder to keep them close and coming back, you only have seconds to react…to get the camera up and get off a burst or two of shots before the hummingbird is off to find fresh flowers. And of course, around a feeder you are “primed” for hummers…ready both physically and psychologically to capture the action. Just out on a stroll, seeing what you can see, it is much more difficult to snap to focus and snap the photos. And, of course, it is a testament to how well bird recognition, eye-tracking auto focus works that any of these chance encounters result in focused images. 🙂 Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife and action and flight modifications. (I switched between the two shots…so these are shots from two different bursts…on is at 1/500th and one is at 1/2000th. Can you tell which is which?) Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Contrast
Northern Blazing Star and Goldenrod, Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — It is Blazing Star season and, though not the best year in recent memory, there is a good crop on the Kennebunk Plains. It seems a bit dry this year. It is, of course, also Goldenrod season and I always look for Blazing Star and Goldenrod growing together for the color contrast. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 106mm equivalent. Program mode with my macro modifications. f10 for depth of field. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Red-tail
Red-tailed Hawk: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — An immature Red-tailed Hawk has been using this hunting perch along the edge of the marsh a half mile from the river mouth off and on all spring and summer, but this is an adult on the same perch. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 1200mm equivalent (2x Clear Image Zoom). Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Making ripples
Northern Water Snake: Day Brook Pond, Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2024 — I saw the Water Snake swimming along the shore of the pond and got off a series of frames. I like the ripples in this one, and the light…and the sense of power that it somehow captures. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Fledgling Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing (fledgling): York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — Just as I was getting ready to leave, a flock of 30 or more Cedar Waxwings made a lightning raid on a choke-cherry tree where I had parked my eTrike while I took a walk out to the pond and back. They were popping and out of the tree, staying mostly hidden, and then flew off to shelter from the noon-day sun in depths of a young white birch clump. By then I had realized that at least 2/3s of them were this year’s fledglings. Must have been a productive year. I like the neutral grey plumage with the back, white, and yellow accents. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Question Mark
Question Mark Butterfly: Kennebunk Maine, USA, August 2024 — When I parked my trike to take a walk on the Bridle Path here in Kennebunk, there was a butterfly fluttering around the parking area, settling on the gravel and bushes and trees for seconds at a time. It took me fifteen minutes of concentrated effort to get these two shots. 🙂 I knew it was a Question Mark or a Comma but it was a while before I managed to see the underside of the wing well enough to be sure. This is the first Question Mark butterfly I have seen in Maine in about 10 years, and I have only seen two other in the past. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Insect subject recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.