Maine! Friday Surprise. Indian Pipe
Ground level on a small stand of emerging Indian Pipe (Ghost Pipe, Ghost Flower) This is a hand-held focus stack from the OM-1 and the 12-45mm f4 Pro. Program mode. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.
Maine! Strange beach-fellows
Great Blue Heron and Greater Yellowlegs: York County, Maine, USA, September 2023 — Strange beach-fellows. Or not. Both looking for food along the edge of the sandbar at the mouth of one of our local rivers. There are a lot of Greater Yellowlegs coming through headed south at the moment. OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Thursday special. Chipper
Wildlife photography in southern Maine is much more difficult than bird photography. The birds are pretty much everywhere, but you have to look much harder to find wildlife of any kind…unless, of course, you are talking about Chipmunks. I know, many photographers would scoff at the idea that chipmunks count as wildlife…but we take what we can get, and every once in a while, a chipper just sits up so cute that you have to take notice. And if it out in the wild (or at least away from our yard) that is even better. This one was out on the Kennebunk Plains when I was there checking the Blazing Star bloom and photographing insects. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/800th.
Maine! Bee in Blazing Star
Common Eastern Bumblebee: Kennebunk Plains, York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — before Northern Blazing Star season slips completely away, one last shot. Of course the Blazing Star bloom is a magnet to every pollen collecting bug in southern Maine. There were bees of every sort found here, including this common Bumblebee. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 1250 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Wednesday Damsel
Swamp Spreadwing (?) doing calisthenics. Day Brook Pond, Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy, York County, Maine, USA — the spreadwings seem very few in number this year, and very late. ?? I think this is a Swamp Spreadwing doing interesting things with its abdomen. OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications.
Maine! Toms
Wild Turkey: York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — This time of year the toms are all in one flock and the hens and chicks in another. I found this small flock of toms one day while out on my trike to check the Blazing Star bloom, in an overgrown yard along the road. This is one of the few times I have caught them out in full sun! OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 320 @ 16.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Handsome Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant: York County, Maine, USA — There are quite a few Cormorants handing around the mouth of the river near home these days. This handsome fellow was along the shore of a tidal creek near where it flows into the river…catching some sun. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f7.1 @ 1/1000th.
Maine! Semi-palmated Plover
Semi-palmated Plover: York County, Maine, USA — The Semi-palms are already headed south from their breeding grounds in the far arctic, and stopping to feed on our beaches here in York County. Always a cheerful sight. This one is at the edge of a tidal creek. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Sunday Supplement, a flock of Goldfinches.
American Goldfinch: York County, Maine, USA — While out checking the Blazing Star bloom I found this large flock of American Goldfinches working the fading booms as they go to seed. I am not sure I have ever seen such a large flock. A group of them settled in the top of one of the small birches long enough for a few photos. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f7.1 @ 1/1000th.
Maine! Hummingbird Clearwing Moth
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth: Kennebunk Plains Conservation Area, York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — Last week when I went out to check for insects in the Northern Blazing Star bloom on the Kennebunk Plains, I found this Hummingbird Clearwing Moth working the Blazing Star…with a Monarch Butterfly right behind it. What are chances? Clearly better than you might think…as here you have it. There are two Clearwing Moths in Southern Maine, the Hummingbird (this one) and the Snowberry (which has a dark stripe down the side) and I have seen them both on the Plains different years. This is, on the other hand, only my 5th life Clearwing, though I only have photos from 3 of the previous…but I do remember each encounter vividly. This one will be the “one with the Monarch” 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/800th.