Ma Cardinal
Northern Cardinal: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The female Cardinal is much bolder than the male, and will feed under the feeders when I am in the blind. I hope, of course, that over the summer the male will become more confiding as well, but we will have to see about that. He was pretty stand-offish all last breeding season. As it happens, the female is just as striking in her own way. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Redbird
Northern Cardinal: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — There is a pair of Cardinals nesting a few houses over, and they visit our yard at some point most days, to see what they can pick up under the feeders by my backyard photo blind. The female is often right under the feeders, but most days the male is more elusive, keeping the female in sight but not coming in close himself. These are heavy crops taken from a good distance. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Song sparrow courting…
Song Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Spring is in the air and the Song Sparrows, newly arrived from the south, are courting. This male was doing the fledgling begging dance for his prospective mate. I shot a burst, but by the time I remembered the video button he was, of course, done. His feathers vibrated like the wings of a hummingbird. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
First Song Sparrow of the season
Song Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — As I was walking. by one of the brush piles along the edge of our lot the other day I caught a sparrowish bird out of the corner of my eye. I could not pin it down, but it looked like a possible Song Sparrow…if so, my first of the year. We never had Song Sparrows in our yard until last spring and summer, when I started putting out mixed bird seed in the feeding station by my backyard blind. Once they found us, we had a few each day…mostly following the Purple Finches who would come to the feeder and throw lots of seed out as they looked for just the right seed. The Sparrows would forage on the ground under the feeders. Song Sparrows are generally one of the first migrant song birds I see in fields and marshes so it is no surprise that they would be the nesting resident to show up in our yard. We have a couple of them now…and this one posed nicely outside my blind. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Comparison: Downy vs. Woody
Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers (Hairy on top): Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The size difference between Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers seems to be particularly pronounced here in Maine, and perhaps in New England in general. It is not that our Downys are small…it is that our Hairys are huge. This set of shots of male Hairys and Downys, taken from the same position in my blind with the same lens, on the same suet cage, show the difference well, and draw attention especially to the beaks. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Seen side by side like this, there is no mistaking the difference. Seen one at a time, and in less “controlled” conditions, it can still be a challenge. 🙂 Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. Assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Dark-eyed Junco, Slated Colored
Dark-eyed Junco, Slate-colored variety, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Dark, broody, almost raining day in the backyard photo blind, but a very cooperative Dark-eyed Junco. We used to get several varieties in New Mexico when I lived there, but just mostly the one here in New England. This is a typical Slate-colored. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 1000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Molting Gold
American Goldfinch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Following up on the post of a still very dull Goldfinch from a few days ago, here is a male going through the change to breeding plumage. It will be a month or more before we see males in full breeding. Last spring when I was in the blind every day I got to see the whole process. This one, however, appears to be on the fast track. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Nature Phonography: Looking closely in the forest
I took a short ride on my trike yesterday, and an even shorter walk out into the forest along the way to see what I could see and to play with the Sirui lens set on my iPhone SE 2020. I have the Moment thin case, so mounting the lenses is just a twist. I got out the 10x Macro lens for its first real world test. I was surprised at the depth of field…much greater than I expected, but still shallow enough to isolate a subject against its background. You need to be able to get really close to your subject. This not a “telephoto macro.” The main trick is to keep out of your own, and the phone’s shadow. Overall I am impressed. This lens is going to be a lot of fun, if I can remember to use it. 🙂 A bit of moss with a pine cone embedded from beside the trail made a vivid macro still life. iPhone SE 2020 with Sirui 10x macro on the Moment thin case. Stock Camera App on Auto. Processed in Apple Photos.
Dull Gold
American Goldfinch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — A few of our male Goldfinches are beginning to show some color, and a few never completely lost it over the winter, but most are still pretty dull at this time of year. This bird does not look very happy about the situation…though I had just filled all the feeders. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. Almost raining and taken from my backyard photo blind. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Chickadee in motion…
Black-capped Chickadee: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I was running out of photos for my Pic for today posts, and since it was above 40 degrees yesterday (though threatening rain) I got my chair blind out and sat by the feeders under the pine for a few hours. I rebuilt and filled the feeding station there a week ago, in anticipation of more spring activity and the day I would actually get the chair blind out. It was still a bit like ice-fishing, waiting in the cold for birds to come, and while there was not a lot of bird activity yet, it turned out to be a productive, and enjoyable, time. This is one of those shots that just happen occasionally. Right place, right time, and ready…certainly not something I could have actually set out to take 🙂 And, once again, proof that you need to attempt to photograph every bird you see…even the ubiquitous chickadee. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. A little branch that was growing out of the tail feathers was removed with TouchRetouch. ISO 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th.