Maine! Question Mark
Question Mark Butterfly: Kennebunk Maine, USA, August 2024 — When I parked my trike to take a walk on the Bridle Path here in Kennebunk, there was a butterfly fluttering around the parking area, settling on the gravel and bushes and trees for seconds at a time. It took me fifteen minutes of concentrated effort to get these two shots. 🙂 I knew it was a Question Mark or a Comma but it was a while before I managed to see the underside of the wing well enough to be sure. This is the first Question Mark butterfly I have seen in Maine in about 10 years, and I have only seen two other in the past. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Insect subject recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Stretch
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — We have a couple of migrant Ruby-throats dominating our feeders the past few days. I caught this young male stretching in the low level light of late afternoon. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. -1 ev. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Spotted Spreadwings
I stopped at the drainage ponds at Southern Maine Medical Center here in Kennebunk Maine to see if there were any Odonata around. This has not been a very abundant summer for dragons or damsels, but I found several mating pairs of Spotted Spreadwings in the reeds and brush around the pond. Sony a6700 with the 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! Greater Stopover
Greater Yellowlegs: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — We only see the Yellowlegs during migration in Maine…mostly in the late summer and fall when they are on their way south from the Canadian nesting grounds. We see way more Greater than Lessor for some reason. In my experience, they like the marshes along the tidal rivers well behind the dunes. This is my first of the season. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-75 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Sky over marsh, river and sea
Mousam River marsh looking out to sea over the beach. Great sky! Reflective pools. Textured marsh grasses. And August morning light over it all. Sony a5100 with Sony E 10-18 f4 zoom at 15mm equivalent. Superior Auto, Landscape Scene Mode. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Standing on one leg
Great Egret: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — There are still large numbers of Great and Snowy Egrets along our tidal rivers, and in the marshes at either side. Perhaps more now than a week ago. In my (limited) experience it seems we have increasing numbers year to year for the past 3 years. This bird was fairly close to one of my paths through the marsh and posed nicely in the August sun. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Two fungi and a flower
Three low wide angle perspective shots. Crown-tipped Coral, Golden Fairy Spindle (sometimes Yellow Coral), and a true flower…the Ghost Flower or Indian Pipe, a parasitic plant on some mushrooms, which are themselves parasitic on the tree roots. Sony a5100 with Sony 10-18 f4 zoom at 15mm equivalent. Aperture mode at f10 for depth of field. Processed in Photomator. Assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Upriver
Yesterday was our first partially sunny day since I got my Sony 10-18 f4 zoom lens in the mail, so of course I was out looking for landscapes and low perspective semi-macros. This is the Mousam River from the Rt. 9 bridge. Sony a5100 in Superior Auto, Lanscape Scene Mode. 15mm equivalent. Processed in Photomator.
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.