Maine! Scruffy Bluebird
Eastern Bluebird: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — I think this is our resident female Bluebird, after a long nesting season. Her latest fledglings are out and about these past few weeks, and that was at least her second nest. She has always had a plumage challenge…never matched the elegance of her mate…but they have successfully fledged at least 4 chicks each summer for the past 4 or 5 years. 🙂 Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! The fruiting forest floor
We have a little patch of woods across the road which I do not pay enough attention too. It was posted for a long time, but it has changed hands and the posted signs are gone, so maybe I will explore it more. This is the time when the forest floor comes alive with mushrooms of all shapes and kinds and I found these in just a short excursion (incursion) in those woods. Clavulinopsis fusiformis, among whose common names I like “golden fairy spindle” best. Some kind of Hygrophore, one of the Lactarus, and a more mature Hygrophore. (Ids courtesy of Siri Knowledge and Google Lens :). Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 75-100mm equivalents. Program mode with my macro modifications. f10 for depth of field and all handheld at low shutter speeds due to the lack of light on the forest floor on a cloudy day. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Almost Rose-breasted
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — We only get Rose-breasted Grosbeak in our yard about twice a year. For a few days in the spring on their way north, and maybe once in the fall on their way south. This one appears to be a somewhat ratty looking young male just coming into its adult plumage. It will be nice and bright by the time it comes back through in the spring, if we catch it as it passes. I would have missed this one if a hummingbird had not been attempting to come in the open deck door wile it happened to be on the feeder. Or maybe the hummer was altering me. I could think that. 🙂 Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Frost’s Bolete?
Frost’s Bolete? Mushroom, Mousam River Preserve of the Kennebunk Land Trust, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2024 — I would not bet my life on any mushroom ID I make, so this could be something else. They were abundant along the edge of the marsh at the Mousam River Preserve when I visited. I am practicing my near macro skills. 🙂 Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 75mm equivalent. Program mode with my macro modifications. f10 (for depth of field) @ 1/15th second, hand held. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Widow Skimmer
Widow Skimmer: Roger’s Pond Park, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2024 — One of my favorite dragonflies, the Widow Skimmer. There are generally a few around the edges of Roger’s Pond when I visit this time of year. This is a well developed male with the pruinescence (white waxy spots) on wings. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Insect recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Forest perspective
One of the Russula mushrooms I think, from the Mousam River Preserve of the Kennebunk Land Trust. This is one of the other “uses” I had hoped for from the Sony 10-18mm f4 lens when I bought it. It focuses to about 6 inches so these kinds of right down on the forest floor shots are possible. Keeping everything in perspective as we enter mushroom season. Sony a5100 with the aforementioned Sony 10-18mm zoom at 15mm equivalent. Program Aperture @ f10 for depth of field. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Perky personified
Red-breasted Nuthatch: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — Okay, maybe not “personified”, maybe “perky animated”? But you get the point. Nothing perkier than a Red-breasted Nuthatch. Fast. Spritely. Alert. And Flighty. We have been graced with this one (or several that look just like this one) over the past few rainy days, coming for sunflower seeds. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VDX zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Jewelweed
Orange Jewelweed: Roger’s Pond Park, Kennebunk, Maine, USA. A native plant here in North America, Jewelweed is invasive all through the UK and Europe…one of those rare plants that crossed the Atlantic going the “wrong” way. It makes a bright show in July and August at the margin of wetlands and in ditches here in Southern Maine. I have been dialing in my macro technique and am quite pleased with these shots for hand held field (near) macro. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 103mm equivalent from about 6 inches. Program mode with my macro modifications. f10. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Hummer at the fuchsia
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (immature male): York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are coming back south down the coast and we have, as I noted a few days ago, a young male that is attempting to dominate the feeder. At the beginning of the summer we hung a fuchsia plant next to the feeder, on the advice of a friend who gets lots of hummers visiting the flowers. We have watched all summer, and this new young male is the first to do so on a regular basis. These images are early morning shots, on a cloudy day, so the light was less than optimal, especially for the high shutter speeds I wanted for the hummer, but still. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my action and flight modifications. Animal/bird subject detection auto focus. ISO 12,800. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! The 15mm view
First photos from my new (used, like new) Sony E 10-18 f4 wide angle zoom. This is 15mm equivalent on an overcast morning with more than a little smoke from western wildfires in the air. With this lens it is all about perspective. 🙂 Sony a5100. Superior Auto, Landscape mode. Processed in Photomator.