Indian Pipe
Indian Pipe (Ghost Flower): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2025 — Still out looking for mushrooms to photograph, but the forest is so dry there are not even any (many) Indian Pipe. Indian Pipe is a strange little plant that has no chlorophyl of its own. It is, as far as we know, a parasite on the fungi network that helps to nourish certain trees…tapping into the same source the trees do. The relationship between the fungi and the trees, is however, beneficial to both, making it symbiotic. If the Indian Pipe benefits the fungi, we are not aware of it yet. (I have my suspicions it does. But that is just me.) Anyway, a very interesting plant. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 75mm equivalent. Aperture program with my macro modifications. (f13 at 1/20th from a small pocket sized tripod). Processed in Photomator.
Different
I have come to the conclusion (probably premature) that we just are not going to get the forest mushrooms we had last year this year. So, while out there looking I looked for other things to photograph. What about these lichen bodies on thee base of a tree? Pretty strange, right? Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 @ 88mm equivalent. Cropped and enlarged using Photomator’s Super-resolution AI. Aperture program with my macro modifications.
Eagle surprise
Bald Eagle: Roger’s Pond Park on the Mousam River, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2025 — Surprise, surprise! I have not seen an eagle on the Mousam all summer, but here one was in one of their favorite haunts, it the trees across the Mousam River from the pond. A bit too far as usual, but you have to try (or at least I do). Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent (and heavily cropped to something like 3000mm). Program with bird and wildlife modifications. (With highlight metering to preserve the whites as best a possible.) Processed in Photomator. (Carol asked for a print of this for the wall, so I used Super-resolution and made her one.)
Flying Ruby
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Kennebunk, Maine, August 2025 — Of course the real challenge is to get the hummingbirds in flight. It is not nearly as hard as it used to be, before bird recognition, eye-tracking, auto focus. Now days it is just a matter of patience (and a bit of hand-eye coordination that comes with practice). And of course totally dependent on how cooperative the hummer is. 🙂 So still a gift really, despite our fancy equipment. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Ruby
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — I sat in the open deck doorway for an hour yesterday afternoon to see if the Ruby-throated Hummingbird was in a mood to cooperate. I wanted the adult male with his gorget showing, of course. For the first half hour the young male and the adult spent a lot of time keeping each other way from the feeder, but as afternoon drew on, and the need to fill the tanks before night became more urgent, they begin to be better at taking turns. The adult posed nicely right in front of me, and then the young bird came in to try to drive him from his perch. This is part of the interaction. The adult was not in the mood to move. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Downy intent.
Downy Woodpecker: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — While waiting on the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, I could not resist the Downy Woodpecker who comes to the deck no matter what I am doing. Here is a Downy very intent on something. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 489mm equivalent. Program mode with action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Not so Ruby-throat
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — We still have Ruby-throats coming to the feeder. This appears to be a young male, probably this year’s brood. The adult and this bird are having a grand old time keeping eachother from the feeder. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Ring-bill
Ring-billed Gull: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — Another handsome gull from the beach on Tuesday. This one is a Ring-billed Gull. I asked Google AI to give me its age or plumage status from the photo, but it told me it could not do that, and I certainly do not know myself. Gulls! Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 493mm equivalent. Program with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Gull
Herring Gull: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — I keep going down to the beach to see if the shorebirds have arrived on their way south yet. Last year they were already here two weeks ago. I begin to wonder if they hopped over us this year. I hope not. I look forward to them on the beach. Oh well, there are always gulls, and yesterday more than usual. Maybe it is a sign. I have mixed feeling about Herring Gulls, but his big bird was certainly handsome. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 313mm equivalent. Program mode with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Terns again
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — The Least Terns who are still on the beach here in late August are way too habituated to humans. This one landed only maybe 15 feet from me. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.