Maine! Bird in a stick
Hermit Thrush: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — still finishing up photos from last month, as bad weather and hunting season are keeping me out of the woods and off the fields. “Bird on a stick” is the, at least mildly, derogiatory term for static photos of birds on a branch…the most common bird photos. As is generally the case, I can describe my photo, tongue in cheek, as just a bird on a stick photo and that is humor. If you describe my photo as bird on a stick, then I might take umbrage. But in this case, I probably would not as this is very definitely a bird on a stick. A Hermit Thrush from my encounter with several feeding in an old orchard. They bushwhacked under the trees a year or so ago to reclaim the orchard from the brush, and there are lots of these sapling stubs just a few inches tall. The thrush hopped up on one presumably to look for insects moving on the ground. Still, makes an interesting bird on a stick photo. 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Great Egret afoot
Great Egret: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — Dropping back a week to pick up this image of a Great Egret walking in the autumn sun on the marsh. Always a majestic bird. We have had more egrets this year than I can ever remember in Southern Maine. 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.
Maine! Patience
Great Blue Heron: York County, Maine, USA, November 2023 — I waited on the marsh observation deck for a good 45 minutes for this Great Blue Heron, who I had spotted while still way out, to work its way down the back edge of the marsh toward me. I had a deer (photos posted a few days ago) to entertain me for a few moments while I waited, but mostly I just sat in the autumn sun and listened to the marsh and the wind in the bare trees of the wet Maple forest behind me. Eventually the Heron got as close to the deck as it was going to and began to work its way around…I took my “keeper” photos…I had taken lots of shots, of course, as it approached, but I did not even bother to process most of those…why would I once the Heron had given me the shots I wanted all along. 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! bare maples
The maples in the wet maple forest are totally bare now. The lone oak stands out at the edge of the marsh, here at Laudholm Farms. OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii with 12-45mm zoom at 54mm equivalent. Program mode with in-camera HDR. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Hermit Thrush again
Hermit Thrush: York County, Maine, USA, November 2023 — There were so many Hermit Thrushes in the old orchard that I did not know where to look. I can’t ever remember seeing such a group…too few to be a flock…but still a lot of Hermit Thrushes in one spot. I cannot find anything on the internet to suggest they migrate in groups, but this was most probably such a group headed south and stopping to fuel up in orchard. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! White-tail
White-tailed Deer: Laudholm Farms, Wells, Maine, USA, November 2023 — I spotted this Great Blue Heron (upper left and upper right in the top and bottom photos) and decided to stay on the marsh overlook deck on the back side of the wet maple forest boardwalk at Laudholm to see if it would work its way down to me…it eventually did, but while I waited for it, this lovely young doe White-tail came tentatively out of the forest, maybe looking for a a fresh water pool. I was sitting on the bench and partially blocked by the deck itself and the foreground brush, so I eventually stood up in all my hunter-safe bright yellow glory, and, of course, the deer, who was already wary out in the open, saw me and, after due consideration, decided it was time to head back into the relative safety of the forest. Watching it run through the marsh was one of the most satisfying wildlife moments I have had in a log time. White tail indeed! OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications (wildlife in this case). Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Hermit Thrush in the orchard
Hermit Thrush: York County, Maine, USA, November 2023 — Out and about the other day, my first surprise (of many that day) was a small flock (maybe just a pair and their off-spring of this year) of Hermit Thrushes feeding along the path and in an old overgrown orchard. I think of Hermit Thrushes, true to their name, as being shy and keeping to themselves…not so this group, who were happily feeding among the fallen apples right out in plain sight only yards from the moderately busy path. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Bare maples and copper oak
The season continues to develop…the maples are bare and the oaks are copper at this little pond along the bridle path in Kennebunk. OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii with 12-45mm zoom at 24mm equivalent. Program mode with in-camera HDR. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.
Maine! Autumn Yellow-rump
Yellow-rumped Warbler: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — Color on color. A Yellow-rumped Warbler showing its color against the colors of a fall maple. Not a portrait, unless it is a portrait of the season. 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.
Maine! Little River Marsh
Laudholm Farms, Wells, Maine, USA — The Little River Marsh from the overlook on wet maple forest boardwalk. We did not get many days like this this fall. OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii with 12-45mm zoom at 24mm equivalent. Program mode with in-camera HDR. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.