Maine! Wren on the rail
Carolina Wren: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — Just sitting the open back deck door, testing some new camera settings, and this Carolina Wren popped up on the deck rail. We saw the Wrens a lot in late spring and early summer, but have not seem them around the feeders for a month or more, so I was surprised to see this one. Delighted to see this one. I managed a short burst of shots before it disappeared again. Hard to say when we will see it next. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! In its element
Common Tern: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — there was a flock of Common Terns avidly feeding where the fresh and salt water’s mix in a tidal creek as the tide went out. They were swooping and circling over the water, diving down to hover and then strike. Beauty in motion. Birds totally in their element. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Animal/bird subject recognition and auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Yellowthroat youngster
Common Yellowthroat (fledgling): York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — Walking along the edge of a meadow, this little bird was chattering in the bushes. It is fledgling Common Yellowthroat. You can just see a bit of the gape still there at the back of the beak. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird subject recognition and auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Hungry
Barn Swallows: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — There was a whole flock of fledgling Barn Swallows along a path through the river-side marsh that I take a few times a week. They seemed determined to all land on this fragile dead rose branch along the way, while the adults flew around them with food. That is an adult bird coming in out of focus in the foreground. It was obviously not a sustainable situation and after a few seconds they all took off in search of a more stable perch. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/Bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Another sand bar encounter: do you come here often?
Great Egret: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — Two Great Egrets walked onto a sand bar. The title options are pretty much limitless. 🙂 The light was almost perfect for shooting Great Egrets…bright enough to bring out detail, but not so bright as to burn out detail. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Animal/Bird recognition and auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Red Admiral
Red Admiral Butterfly: Kennebunk Bridal Trail, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2024 — I posted a White Admiral from the Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy property, inland from us, a week ago, and someone mentioned the Red Admiral in a comment. Here is a Red Admiral from the sea side of our house, down near the ocean on the Kennebunk Bridal Path. It is a beautiful butterfly, and the setting, on the Queen Ann’s Lace and in front of the out-of-focus beach roses with some fruit already here at the end of July, only makes for a better image. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Insect detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Chance encounter
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — So I don’t really believe in chance, but I am always surprised to find a hummingbird away from our back-deck feeder…in the wild, so to speak. I forget that hummingbirds got along just fine before humans began to feed them. This female Ruby-throated Hummingbird was harvesting nectar from the jewelweed along a trail I visit on occasion, and it cooperated for a few photos. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Animal/Bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Out on the sandbar
Great Egret, Snowy Egret, imm. Herring Gull: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — The Egrets are beginning to gather again, populating the sandbars at low tide. Always mixed company, with both egrets, lots of gulls, and the occasional Great Blue Heron. A lively crowd generally, with lots of interaction and not a little showing off. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/Bird subject detection and focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Red-tailed
Red-tailed Hawk: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — In early spring I saw a Red-tailed Hawk several times along a stretch of trail that I like to walk with my camera. I knew its hunting perches. Well, this week there is another hawk on those perches…or perhaps the same hawk, after what I can only hope was a successful mating and nesting season. Over the course of an hour in the area, the hawk showed me both sides. 🙂 Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/Bird subject recognition focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! White in Flight
Great Egret: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — A Great Egret winging its way upriver to the sand bars. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Animal/Bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.