Black-capped Chickadee, Kennebunk Maine

We had a brief sun shower between the snow squalls yesterday afternoon, and I happened to be coming back from a walk around the neighborhood just at the right moment. As the sun broke through, a small crowd of Chickadees decided it was time to visit the feeders, and, though I was right there on the back deck, only a few feet from the feeders, they would not be denied. The first that came in landed too close for the 4 foot focus on my camera, and I had to back up to get these shots. Not exactly arms-length, but pretty close. The beautiful spring sun, and the closeness of the birds, made for some very satisfying shots. Checking my other shots, the little patch of white feathers above the eye on this bird is unique. It gives this particular Chickadee an extra dash of character. Sony RX10iv at 600mm. Program mode. 1/1000th @ f4.5 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr and the Light tool in Apple Photos.

Double-crested Cormorant, La Jolla Cove, La Jolla California

We will drop back a few weeks into February and my trip to San Diego for the Birding Festival there. I always enjoy visiting the Cove at La Jolla, north of San Diego proper. It is just a 30 minute drive through up-scale communities along the coast from our convention center in Mission Beach, and the cliffs there are home to hundreds of nesting Cormorants and Pelicans. This Double-crested is in full breeding plumage, showing its crests and the patterning in wing feathers. It also displays the hazards of living in a popular sport fishing area. It clearly has a hook embedded in its gullet. Folks who know say that the hooks do not last long. The Cormorant’s body dissolves the iron of the hook and the nylon line falls away. Iron is temporary. Nylon is eternal. 🙁 Still, it can not be comfortable having the hook embedded…though it does not seem to have kept this cormorant from feeding. It certainly looks healthy and just a bit dapper in its breeding finery. Sony RX10iv at the 600mm. Program mode. -.3EV 1/1000th @ f7.1 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Pussy Willows, Kennebunk Maine

I told the story of these Pussy Willows in yesterday’s Day Poem. I was riding my eBike on a long photoprowl around the loop past the beaches when I came to a pussy willow tree bowed down by recent heavy snows to almost touch the pavement and had to ride around the branches. It only registered what they were when I was past and I had to circle back to photograph them. I remembered them from my Great-grandmother’s dinning room table, where they appeared every spring as the centerpiece, but I have not seen them often since. Blast from the past. And a wonderful find. I spent a few enjoyable circling around the branches, attempting to find attractive backgrounds without being run over by the passing traffic. Sony RX10iv at 600mm. Program mode. -.3EV. 1/1000th @ f5 @ ISO100. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Purple Finch, Kennebunk Maine

I have seen several pics of Purple Finches over the past few days, posted on Facebook from around the country. They must be moving through on their way north. This one appeared yesterday on our back deck under the bird feeders in the fresh falling snow, so I scattered some seed. I had to shoot through two layers of thermal glass in the sliding door. If I even got close enough to the glass to cast a shadow, the birds (this finch and a bunch of Dark-eyed Juncos) were off and away. Sony RX10iv at 600mm. Program mode. -.3EV 1/500th @ f4 @ ISO 400. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Ice on willow wands, Mousam River, Kennebunk Maine

More ice structures on willow wands above the Mousam River at Roger’s Pond Park in Kennebunk Maine. Not exactly ice bells, but I am always fascinated by the shapes ice gets into when the conditions are right…and the willow wands are at their brightest right now. I also like what the sun is doing in the tannin rich water. Sony RX10iv at 600mm. In-camera HDR. Processed in Polarr and TouchRetouch (to remove an out of focus wand on the right).

Ice bell, Mousam River at Roger’s Pond Park, Kennebunk Maine

We had a few days of weather with mornings in the single digits and teens this week…cold enough to form ice bells on the willow wands along the Mousam River here in Kennebunk. I am hoping that these are the last ice bells this winter 🙂 The water levels were such that the bells grew big flaring bottoms, very ornate. And of course, with the longer days and the higher sun, the willow wands are bright red. All in all, an impressive sight. Sony RX10iv at 600mm. In-camera HDR. Processed in Polarr.

Melting snow, Kennebunk Maine

We have had 3 nor-easters in Maine in March, and we still have over a foot of snow on the ground. It is, however, March, and the sun is high and, even though the days have not been warm, the snow is melting fast. Or rather it is disappearing fast. Mostly it is evaporating, passing directly from solid to gas. The process produces some amazing snow sculpture on the macro scale. I had some fun with snow and telephoto macros, while ostensibly hunting for ice bells yesterday while the temperatures were still hovering in the teens at Roger’s Pond Park along the Mousam River in Kennebunk. Sony RX10iv at 600mm. Program mode. 1/1000th @ f8 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr.

Black-capped Chickadee, Kennebunk Maine

Just another Chickadee shot. This one strikes me spontaneously elegant, like a back view of someone in formal wear. I love the way the wings fold. Sony RX10iv at 600mm. Program mode. +.3EV. 1/500th @ f4 @ ISO 200. Processed in Polarr.

Female Eastern Bluebird, Kennebunk Maine

The female Eastern Bluebird is not as vivid as the male. The rust on the breast is not so deep, and the blue on the back is not so brilliant. I am not saying that is fair, or fitting, or should in any way be related to our own sexual dimorphism…just that seems to work for Bluebirds. This lovey lady bluebird was out gathering meal worms from my feeders as the nor-easter wore down one day last week. If yesterday’s pose was curiosity, this one is maybe expectation? Sony RX10iv at 600mm. Program mode. 1/500th @ f4 @ ISO 200. Processed in Polarr and just a touch of the light tool in Apple Photos.

Eastern Bluebird, Kennebunk Maine

This is another shot from my little sit-out on the deck during the last of the snowstorm on Wednesday. I do not know exactly why Eastern Bluebirds are so apt to strike poses that are so expressive of human emotions, but they are. There are lots of posters and mugs with bluebird images to attest. This shot could easily be titled “Curiosity” and would make a great poster, plate, or mug…don’t you think? And I am not all that certain that the bird was not, in fact, curious. It was certainly looking at me, on my camp stool in the snow, and was probably wondering what I was doing there, or at least wondering if I was a threat. Or not, as the case may be. I actually have no idea what it was thinking or if it was, strictly speaking, thinking at all. Maybe it is just the way a bluebird’s face is shaped…the position of the eyes, the brow-line of feathers, the white wash on the chin? Whatever. Still, “Curiosity!” Sony RX10iv at 600mm. Program mode. 1/500th @ ISO 200 @ f4. -.3EV. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos (I really like the intelligent (AI) light tool in Apple Photos on the iPad.) Again, view this as large as you can for the feather detail.