Maine! April’s sweet song
Song Sparrow: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — April 1st and the Song Sparrows are finally singing from the tree and bush tops. This one sat long enough to catch its song several times, and even for a short video. OM System OM-1Mkii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Florida! Not dancing
Bonaparte’s Gull: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — The Bonaparte’s Gulls that feed with the Egrets on those days when the shrimp hatch do not do the whole “dancing on the water” thing, but the Egrets dancing keeps them stirred up and active. They never get to sit still for long. OM System OM-1 with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 300mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Squirrel Rodeo
Eastern Grey Squirrel: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, March 2024 — The other day I got out for a walk around the neighborhood with my camera, and found quite a few of the local squirrels having a rodeo in a large open lot up the street. There were at least a dozen of them, chasing each other across the yard in close pursuit, round and round the big pines, and high into the branches, juggling buried acorns from last year. It looked like fun, and was certainly fun to watch. OM System OM-1Mkii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications (works for small mammals just as well). Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Volcano?
Volcano Hummingbird: Feathers Garden, Savegre Mountain Hotel and Spa, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — There at two very small hummingbirds, both endemic to the mountains of Southern Costa Rica and Northern Panama, and so similar that they are always a challenge to separate where they overlap…as they do at Savegre. Generally the Scintillant is found at lower elevations and is replaced by the Volcano at higher elevations…however there appears to be a broad area of overlap in the Talamancas. Males have different colored gorgets…orange for the Scintillant and violet for the Volcano, but I have seen far fewer males than females, and, indeed, saw no males this past December. I am pretty sure both of these shots are the female Volcano. I have shots taken only a few moments later from the same chair at Feathers Garden, of what is clearly the Scintillant (with I will post another day). Compared, the Scintillant has an obviously rufous tail and more rufous under the wings and is very slightly smaller (but we are talking really small hummingbirds already). OM System OM-1 with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Bluebird in the frame
Eastern Bluebird: York County, Maine, USA, March 2024 — As I have mentioned before, Bluebirds are pretty much everywhere you look in York County by now. I see them in my yard every day, no matter the season. This one was along a trail through fields and forest that I walk at least once a month, most months. I like the “frame” here, the way the branches curve around the bird, and the way the light wraps the bird. OM System OM-1 with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Florida! All about the dance
Snowy Egret: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — More Egrets dancing on the water (I told you I got lots of shots!). The grace and beauty of these birds is undeniable. Who can resist? OM System OM-1 with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 300mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. -1.0EV. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Ridiculous Finch
House Finch: York County, Maine, USA, March 2024 — I have never seen the courting behavior of the House Finch before yesterday and it is really quite something to see. It certainly appears as if the ability to look ridiculous might improve the breeding success of male House Finches. This one certainly thought it did, though I can’t say the female looks like the display is putting her in an amorous mood. He went on like this for quite some time, doing his best to strike the most ridiculous pose. And noisy too. OM System OM-1Mkii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Lesser Violetear
Lesser Violetear Hummingbird: Feathers Garden, Savegre Mountain Hotel and Spa, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — Another hummingbird who frequents the Feathers Garden at Savegre: the Lesser Violetear. It used to be the Green Violetear, until the name gods changed it to the Mexican and Lesser Violetear…and, no, there is no Greater Violetear. ?? This is a feisty little hummer that attempts to dominate the feeders wherever you find it…and it is common from the upper reaches of the Rainforest right up through Cloud Forest, at least to 8000 feet where I have seen it often. OM System OM-1 with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Cardinal on ice
Northern Cardinal: York County, Maine, USA, March 2024 — Before my Cardinal after the March snow and ice event encounter slips too far into memory I need to share at least one more photo. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Florida! Cut-off
Snowy Egrets: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, January 2024 — While I have, as I mentioned when I first posted images from this encounter with the water dancing Egrets along Blackpoint drive, seen this behavior before many times, I never saw it so concentrated or so intense or involving so many birds at once as I did this January. The action was non-stop and I often did not know where to look, there were so many Egrets in the air at the same time. Close calls and cut-offs were inevitable. OM System OM-1 with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 300mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. -1.0EV. Processed in Photomator.