Maine! Show me those wings!
Great Blue Heron: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — Still with the hunting Heron on the Mousam River…I processed and kept just under 50 of the 732 images I took of this bird…so if I share a few of them this week, cut me some slack 🙂 This one shows not only the magnificent wings but some interesting dynamics in the back feathers as the Heron spreads. I assume those back feathers are rooted in the skin above the back muscles that power the wings. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 698mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 5000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Heron strike…
Great Blue Heron: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — Along the Mousam River rapids here in town…more shots of the hunting Heron. This time a sequence of an unsuccessful strike. As I watched the Heron was averaging about 1 in 5, and the crayfish or whatever it was taking were not large. Heron hunting is lots of work. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 488mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 6400 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Another foliage in the fog at the pond shot. :)
Along Rt 9 just north of the Kennebunk/Wells border. One of my favorite ponds in any season. OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii with 12-45mm zoom at 46mm equivalent. In-camera HDR scene mode.
Maine! Great Blue hunting
Great Blue Heron: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — I found this Great Blue Heron hunting the first rapids past the high tide line on the Mousam River. We spent a good hour together as we moved up-stream slowly, he taking some kind of crustacean from the river-bed, and me taking photos. Way too many photos…though I doubt he would say the same of crustaceans. This shot has a little of everything. Action, detail, dark water, fall foliage. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.
Maine: fall fog
It was foggy down along the coast the past few days and the fall foliage, what we have so far, barely burned through. OM Systems OM-1 with 12-45mm zoom at 24mm equivalent. HDR Scene mode.
Maine! Great Great Egret
Great Egret: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — The flood-tide had the egrets feeding in different spots in the marsh than usual…some closer than usual…though these were taken with the 2x digital tele-extender on the OM Systems OM-1 with the 100-400mm zoom so at 1600mm equivalent and cropped slightly to fill the frame. 🙂 Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro. -0.7EV.
Maine! Flood-tide marsh
This is mostly standing marsh grasses on any normal day, with the high water line a good 6 feet below the surface…but the ocean has invaded on the flood-tide this week. Along the Bridle Path in Kennebunk, Maine. OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii with 12-45mm zoom at 24mm equivalent. HDR scene mode. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.
Maine! Great flood-tide birds
Great Blue Heron and Great Egret: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — we had a flood-tide this week…maybe the second highest I have seen along this coast…the road to our local beach was only about 6 inches above high water (I saw it over the road once), and the birds took advantage of the newly flooded marsh to hunt for treats. Both the Great Blue Heron and the Great Egret were working within 30 yards of the road…the Egret closer than the Heron. 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! Odd year
It is an odd year when the oak leaves turn before the maples 🙂 This is a particulary exposed oak branch, low on sapling at the edge of the Bridle Path here in Kennebunk, Maine. OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii with 12-45mm zoom at 24mm equivalent. In-camera HDR scene mode.
Maine! Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — The other, and more expected, warbler in the young birches on the sand plain was, of course, the Yellow-rumped Warbler. Yellow-rumps come early and stay late, and are undoubtedly the most common warbler in southern Maine. Though you might think they are looking up to spot danger…they are actually looking for insects on the underside of the birch leaves. 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 468mm. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro.