Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA — A pair of Least Terns nested about 35 feet from the main access path to one of our southern Maine beaches. I have been watching the nest for 3 weeks, hoping to see the hatchlings. Yesterday, between 10am when I left the beach, and 5pm when I visited again, the chicks got big enough so it was hard for mom or dad to keep them covered. They were squirming around trying to escape from under the sitting bird, and I was there for this moment when one of the adults brought in a tiny Rock Gunnel (I think) to offer to the chicks. I am pretty sure they are still too young for a fish even that size, and, indeed they did not take the fish, but it is probably part of training them to do so soon, when they are out of the nest in the next few days. The parents will feed them for the next 8 weeks. This shot was taken with a long lens, from a safe distance, from a heavily trafficked path, and cropped in to show the bird at about 3000mm equivalent. This would be a spotting scope view, not even a binocular view. I always feel the need to caution folks not to try for this kind of image with your cell phone or even the kit zoom that came with your camera. 🙂 Try not to disturb the birds too much. Sony A6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent (and then cropped as above). Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Piping Plover: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — More pairs of Plovers on the north end of our beach these days. They maybe just moved up from down the beach, or maybe relocated after a first nest further south. They are very active, ranging from potential nest sites in the protected area all the way down to the surf line. This one just needed to stretch. Sony A6700 with Tamron 50-400mm Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.