Maine! Pieces of Pileated
Pileated Woodpecker: York County, Maine, USA, March 2024 — I was walking one of my favorite paths along the river marsh when I heard a loud strident call and this bird came swooping out of the woods and back in at eye-level. It was big, the size of a crow or a small hawk, and it was not until I saw the flash of its white underwings as it banked around that my mind engaged and I knew it for a Pileated Woodpecker. I forget how big a bird the Pileated is. This bird, as is common with woodpeckers, played hide and seek with me for the next half hour. Mostly it stayed fairly low in the trees, always on the back side of the trunk or behind a heavy tangle of branches. A few times it actually hid behind a branch, very intentionally putting and keeping the branch between us. I would loose it as it flew from tree to tree, and then have to listen carefully to find it, if not by its call, which it gave repeatedly, or by its loud drum, which it only did once, then by the constant low chatter it seemed to be making as it worked. Talking to itself (or maybe to me). I did manage a few shots of pieces of the bird, and a few awkward portraits. Most between obtruding branders or through heavy tangles. Still it was fun. Eventually it got tired of playing with me, and flew off all the way across the wide marsh and the river. OM System OM-1Mkii with 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! shades of Talamanca
Talamanca Hummingbird: Miriam’s Quetzals, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — There were probably only a few male Talamanca Hummingbirds at Miriam’s when we visited, but they were aggressively defending the feeders and their territories, so it felt like a lot of birds. I have grouped shots here of males, to show off the various shades of violet and blue that the changing light brings out. Each photo is worth a look on its own for the details. OM System OM-1 with 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! How to pick crabapple
Cedar Waxwings: York County, Maine, USA, March 2024 — I have lots of photos from my encounter with the Cedar Waxwings in town the other day. They were busy picking and eating crabapples…which are just now getting sweet enough for them. The first shot here is a study in how to pick crabapples, if you are an avid Cedar Waxwing, and the second is just celebrating success. OM System OM-1Mkii with 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and Apple Photos.
Florida! Last shots
Great Egret: Blackpoint Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — These are the last two shots I took on my first full day in Florida in January, on my second loop around Blackpoint Drive. Late afternoon. The Egret was fairly close, along the road, and I could not resist. OM System OM-1 with 100-400IS zoom at 506mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. -0.7 EV. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Red-tail on the perch
Red-tailed Hawk: York County, Maine, USA, March 2024 — Same dull day as yesterday’s post and same Red-tailed Hawk hunting the edge of the marsh. I got to see it on three perches before it went around the corner of the woods and further up the marsh. Again the dull light brings out the subtle colors of the plumage. OM System OM-1Mkii with 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and Apple Photos.
Costa Rica! Talamanca Hummer
Talamanca Hummingbird: Miriam’s Quetzals, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2024 — The problem at Miriam’s is not that the Talamanca Hummingbirds are too far away…it is that they are too close. They were literally buzzing around our heads and often landed behind us under the eaves at the back of the deck. The Talamanca is among the largest hummingbirds in Central America and used to be called the Magnificent Hummingbird, before the species was split and the Central American birds were renamed after the mountain range where they dwell in Southern Costa Rica and Northern Panama. I had my OM System OM-1 on my birds-in-flight program but the 1/1600th of a second was still not fast enough to completely still the wings at this close distance. 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. -0.3 EV. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Red-tailed in flight
Red-tailed Hawk: York County, Maine, USA, March 2024 — You just never know what is in store when you go out with your camera. On a grey, overcast day, between rain storms, I decided to take a short hike along one of my favorite paths down through the marshes along our local river near the coast, and walked right up under this Red-tailed Hawk hunting the edge of the marsh. It was an unusually high tide and the rising water was moving a lot of moles, voles, and mice. The hawk was so intent about its business that it paid little attention to me, and I got to watch it as moved from perch to perch along the forest edge and took sorties out over the marsh. OM System OM-1Mkii with 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and Apple Photos.
Florida! Strike one
Little Blue Heron: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — This is a particularly “reddish” looking Little Blue, and if not for the beak color might be mistaken for a Reddish Egret. While both Reddish and Little Blue are fearsome hunters, both miss more often than they hit…swing and a miss for a strike…and are left looking at the expanding ripples. OM System OM-1 with 100-400IS zoom at 200mm equivalent (this bird was close!). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! A second helping of waxwing
Cedar Waxwing: York County, Maine, USA, March 2024 — Apparently, if you can go by the number of images of Cedar Waxwings in Maine posted yesterday on Facebook, the Cedar Waxwing hordes have suddenly overwhelmed the state…or maybe it was just that Friday was a sunny day and the Crabapple berries are finally sweet, and the Waxwings were out everywhere. I, myself, have hundreds (well dozens) of different Waxwing poses from my two encounters on Friday. I like this one because the bird is making itself fat. Seconds later it stretched to its full length and reassumed its elegant posture. It is also one of the few shots I got where the wax on the wing is showing…if only just. OM System OM-1Mkii with 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Flame
Flame-colored Tanager: Miriam’s Quetzals, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — Someone in the comments on my recent Acron Woodpecker post, images taken at Miriam’s Quetzals in San Geraldo de Dota, sang the praises of the Flame-colored Tanager…a common bird at the feeders at Miriam’s. One of the brighter of the mountain birds of Central America (and that is saying quite a bit considering the competition), the male and female, while different shades of flame, are both brilliant. These shots, both on the same perch in the partial shade, show off the colors. OM System OM-1 with 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.