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.
Maine! Feed me!
Least Tern: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — The Least Tern chicks are fully fledged and have been flying around the beach for weeks, but they aren’t hunting on their own yet. They gather in little pods to wait for mom or dad to bring them a Sand Eel or Rock Gunnel, all calling out softy until an adult appears and then really squawking. It can’t be long now before the adults leave them to their own devices. 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 recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Walk this way
Snowy Egret: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — We have a lot of smoke from the wildfires to the west of us in the air right now, and it makes everything sort of soft…at least when photographing (not to mention making it a bit hard to breathe). It does not seem to be bothering the birds, though it is hard to tell. This Snowy Egret was in the marsh quite close to the path. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird recognition auto focus. Highlight metering mode. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Ruler of the roost
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — Yesterday this immature male Ruby-throated Hummingbird showed up in our yard, and promptly took ownership of the hummingbird feeder…fending off our local male and female, and even the Chipping Sparrows who use the seed feeder near by. Feisty and determined. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent in low light. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird subject recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Monarch on Rose Hips
The Monarch Butterflies are coming back through, down the coast, on their way to Mexico. They come around Great Head point and across the Mousam River mouth, over the beach and the marsh, and continue on south, 20 or so of them in the short time I am looking. They rarely light for more than a few seconds, and most don’t light at all while I am looking. This one settled a moment on the ripening Beach Rose hips (Rosa Rugosa). Sony a6700 with my action and flight modifications (just in case it did not sit for me). Insect recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Frumpy Egret
Great Egret: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — This was just a passing mood…the Egret was in fine form…it just had a moment of frump, such as comes to us all in the course of a day in the marsh. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VDX zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/Bird detection auto focus. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Forest orange
Perhaps Jackson’s Slender Amanita (I love to photograph mushrooms in season but I don’t pretend to know what they are, and I don’t eat them.) Little and bright orange at any rate. Less mature specimens looked like little orange buttons. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 90mm equivalent. Program mode with my macro modifications. Processed in Photomator.