Sheep Laurel in the shade
Sheep Laurel: Kennebunk Bridle Path, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — I had to look it up this morning (and I really wish I hadn’t). Sheep Laurel gets its name because it is poisonous to sheep and other grazers. And it is otherwise such a pretty plant! Without a hint of malice…but then that is probably what makes it dangerous. I will never look at it quite the same way though. Here seen deep in the shade of the forest, back 20 yard from the edge of the marsh. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 105mm. Aperture preferred for depth of field. f13 which gave me 1/30th (I really should have had my tripod.) Processed in Photomator.
Iris
Blue Flag Iris (wild Iris): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — This is, of course, a digital composition…or, as I like to call them, digital confection. The close up Iris is added, to simulate (or perhaps stimulate) the way our attention works when we encounter this in nature. We see the clump of Iris in all its glory next to the old birch trunk…a riot to color and texture and form, but that does not take our full attention…because we also, in our mind’s eye, see the intricate detail off the Iris flower. Much ado about nothing maybe, but maybe not. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 75mm with my marco modifications to Aperture mode (f22 for maximum depth of field) and 600mm at f6.3 for the close up. Processed in Photomator and assembled (confected) in Pixomatic.
Cardinals
Northern Cardinal: Magee Marsh, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2025 — Walking the Estuary Trail out behind the boardwalk at Magee, I can on these two cardinals making ready to mate and nest. Not a great photo…to far…but still a great moment. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm (and heavily copped). Program with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Volcano
Volcano Hummingbird: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — One of the two smallest hummingbirds (with the very similar Scintillated) in the mountains of Costa Rica. This one was working the flowers around the observation deck at Batsu, high above the Savegre River on the mountain side. Despite being only small, they are totally fearless. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
On its own already
Piping Plover chick: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — I have been seeing photos of this piping plover chick since it hatched a week ago, but not seen it myself until Monday. They blend in so well with the sand, and it is, after all, only one tiny puff of feathers and toothpick legs. It is so small and so fuzzy, that the camera still will not focus on it even at a week old. It is pretty much independent now. The parents have even given up trying to keep it corralled to the safe zone behind the nesting area ropes. It is running all over the beach. Which is probably why I finally saw it. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent (and heavily cropped at that). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Least Tern
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, June 2025 — Sometimes we encounter angels unaware…and sometimes they are intent on pooping on us 🙂 I had to quit when one scored a direct hit on my dot-sight and my lens (not to mention the face behind them). And yes, I have been experimenting with a dot sight…or reflex sight…to better target the angels. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications (trying minimum shutter speed 1/4000th). Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Sing a little song
Magnolia Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2025 — This Magnolia hung out, avidly feeding, along the same stretch of boardwalk for two days running. Of course it possible that there were multiple Mangonias over the course of the two days, and we humans are just not equipped to differentiate. 🙂 I always like to catch them in song. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Wild Iris
Blue Flag Iris: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — There is a little pond formed where the road crosses one of the meandering streams that runs down through the marshes behind the dunes to the sea, where a clump of wild iris has been blooming every June for as long as I can remember. I photograph it every year. Sony a5100. Sony 10-18 f4 at 15mm equivalent. Intelligent Auto with Landscape Mode. Processed in Photomator.
Flame Colored
Flame-colored Tanager: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Batsu Gardens is a project of one the grandsons of the original settlers in the Savegre Valley. High on the mountain side above the stream there is little terrace with flowering and fruiting plants, and two shelters where birders and photographers can sit and watch or photograph the visiting hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans, parrots, finches, silky-flycatchers and ground doves. This is the Flame-colored Tanager, one of the most common tanagers of the mountains, and one of the brightest colored. Almost like flame 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Tern turn turn
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — I am still very much “practicing” to be a Tern photographer…at least a terns-in-flight photographer. They are way faster and more agile than either I or my camera. Still persistence sometimes almost pays off. 🙂 This is almost a satisfying shot. Almost, if I don’t look too close. I will try a slightly faster shutter speed next time out. I remind myself it is not about perfection. It is only about catching a hint of the grace and beauty of the living tern. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.