Painted Lady, Great Spangled Fritillary, Clouded Sulphur: Kennebunk Plains Conservation Area, West Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2026 — This time of year, some of our butterflies are looking well worn: not these! Two, as you see, are in the last blossoming Northern Blazing Star of the season, and the Clouded Sulphur is on Smooth Blue Aster, in the same area. I included the oblique shot of the Sulphur because I rarely see the upper side of the wing well enough to appreciate the bright orange mark. Sony RX10 V at 600mm equivalent. Cropped to between 750 and 1200mm effective field of view (1200mm on the Sulphur). My birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator.

Cedar Waxwing: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2026 — The Cedar Waxwings in southern Maine are in full hawk mode these days. Perching on trees at the edge of ponds, they swoop out over the water and take insects (probably mosquitoes) out of the air, then come swooping back to their perches, watch for seconds or moments, and swoop out again. It reminds me a bit of that game they play on broomsticks in the Harry Potter movies. I found a spot in the shadows at the edge of the pond near a perch they were using regularly and stood there for an hour or more, in two shifts, to see if I could catch one close and in good light. Of course, they always had their backs to me as they looked out over the pond for insects, but they were close. 🙂 Sony RX10 V at 600mm. Cropped to about 780mm effective field of view. My Birds and Wildlife Mode. Processed in Photomator.

Carolina Wren: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2026 — The Carolina Wrens have been more scarce in August and early September, but they are still around, and probably on our deck several times a day. We just are not always there to see them. Their visits do not last as long these days. Yesterday was dark and just shy of raining most of the day, and there was a lot of activity at the feeders. Including the Carolina. You can see that this bird is just coming out of molt and is maybe not quite finished yet. An unfinished wren. Sony RX10 V at 600mm equivalent. Cropped to about 750mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator.

Greater Yellowlegs: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2026 — Mid-day sun along the tidal creek behind the dunes and a lone Greater Yellowlegs stretching its wings, like a ballerina striking a pose. Sony RX10 V at 600mm equivalent, cropped to about 1500mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife custom shooting mode. Processed in Photomator.

This is 4 shots, handheld, at 24mm, using the Sony RX10 V and my custom Landscape mode, processed in Photomator and stitched together in BimoStitch—and then the rounded edges of the uncropped panorama filled in with the repair tool in Touch-Retouch. I was keen to capture the “ghost writing in the sky effect” while preserving full color and detail in the marsh and forest and the water. And I like the contrast between the high wispy cirrus clouds and the low-lying cumulus clouds on the horizon at the left. The original is about 96mp, but I had to downsize it to 34 to work with it in Touch-Retouch. And of course there aren’t many displays that can handle 96mp anyway. 🙂 Though it is hard to view on any display, I am quite happy with it.

Herring Gull: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2026 — I went to the beach partially hoping to test a theory about photographing birds in flight with my new Sony RX10 V and did indeed find some birds in flight. Mostly cormorants and gulls. I have no fondness for Herring Gulls—respect, yes, some. They are survivors. Not good neighbors maybe, but tough as old boot leather. Still, they have a certain beauty in flight. Sony RX10 V at 600mm equivalent. Cropped to about 1550mm effective field of view (a 3mp image). My Flight and Action mode. Processed in Photomator.

Japanese Knotweed is a terrible invasive plant with such an extensive root system that it is very difficult to eradicate once established. It is very quickly taking over the roadside on one of the side streets near us, which runs back through a patch of remnant wetland and is a favorite place for me to look for birds. Yesterday it was, however, full of insects. Bees of at least three varieties, two uncommon flies, some tiny green bugs I had never seen before, and these four species of wasps. There is one photo each of a Bramble Mason Wasp and a Common Yellow-jacket, and two photos each of the 4 Banded Stink Bug Wasp and the narrow-waisted Eumenes fraternus. Sony RX10 V at 600mm equivalent, each cropped to about 850mm effective field of view. My Birds and Wildlife Mode. Processed in Photomator.

Great Blue Heron and two female Mallards: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2026 — I visited a local pond yesterday and found a Great Blue Heron along the far shore, along with a number of Mallards, to mention just two species. There were also Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Canada Geese, and a flock of Cedar Waxwings hawking insects over the water. The Heron decided to move from the bank to the water, and evidently the ducks were not happy about it. I do not know why. Sony RX10 V at 600mm equivalent, cropped to about 850mm effective field of view. (A 10mp crop.) My Birds and Wildlife Mode. Processed in Photomator.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Immature): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2026 — I was out on the deck waiting for the birds on a dark, overcast day, when this little immature Ruby-throated Hummingbird, probably this year’s brood, came swooping in, as they will do, and visited one of our hanging plants. For a second. 2 at the most. No time to think. Point and shoot. Not a perfect shot, but satisfying. And somewhat surprising. Sony RX10 V at 600mm equivalent. Cropped to ~1000mm effective field of view. (7mp) My birds and wildlife mode. 1/250th. Processed in Photomator.

Blushing Rosette Mushroom. Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2026 — Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi, which are fibrous networks growing underground, often in association with tree roots. The Blushing Rosette is odd even by mushroom standards in that it has a maze of pores instead of gills on the back side of the mushroom. It is famous when just emerging for engulfing any twigs or small tree shoots that might be in its way as it grows. Like some other related mushrooms, it often extrudes liquid drops, in this case red drops. So strange! (I do not know all this. I looked it up using Gemini.) Sony RX10 V in my Macro Mode. f/8 for depth of field. From my tiny carbon fiber tripod. Processed in Photomator.