Maine spring edition: Trout-lily
Trout-lily, Wells Estuarine Research Reserve at Laudholm Farms, Wells, Maine, USA — It is Trout-lily time of year again. I have been watching the distinctive leaves, dark green with brown mottling, emerge slowly in likely spots, but these are the first I have found blooming this spring, in a warm sheltered spot along the boardwalk in the Maple Swamp at Laudholm Farms. Trout-lily (or Adder’s Tongue) is a nodding lily and you have to get right down on the ground to shoot up under the blossoms for the full effect. Times like these I am very thankful for the articulated LCD on the Sony. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv. One at 97mm equivalent, two at 79mm, and the last one at 600mm for a telephoto macro. With the Sony’s full time macro you have to experiment with close focus distance and focal length for the best image scale…or back off and shoot at 600mm. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/400th to 1/800th.
Female Scarlet-rumped Tanager (with bonus bird)
Scarlet-rumped Tanager (female) and Golden-hooded Tanager, Las Cruces Biological Research Station, San Vito, Costa Rica, December 2021 — I mentioned that the Passerini’s and Cherrie’s Tanagers were considered separate species, each with an isolated range on either cost of Costa Rica (no overlaps)…at least for a while. They were once considered the same species, named Scarlet-rumped Tanager…and then the AOU (the bird naming committee) decided they were different, based on range, and on the obvious differences in the plumage of the females (the males are identical), but recently ornithologist have come up with a new method to study species, called the “playback method”. They play recorded songs and calls of an apparently closely related species, to determine if the birds under study respond as they do to their own calls and songs. In the case of Passerini’s and Cherrie’s Tanagers, both respond equally as well to the other’s songs and calls…making it very likely that they are the same species, or at least that they would interbreed if their ranges overlapped. This inspired genetic studies to follow up…and indeed they appear to be the same species, just separated by a mountain range. The Golden-hooded Tanager just had to get into the photo. Sony Rx10iv at 591mm equivalent. Program mode with wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Equivalent ISO 2500 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine spring edition: Red-winged Blackbird (female)
Red-winged Blackbird (female): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2022 — This is clearly a Red-winged Blackbird, and I am pretty sure it is a female, and not a first-year male, because I see no patch at all on the shoulder. The eyebrow is a bit bold for a female, but still. What really surprised me is the feet…take a close look at those feet. I have added a heavy crop from another photo to show the detail. Now there is foot made for wrapping around cat-tail reeds. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Blue-headed Parrot
Blue-headed Parrot: Las Cruces Biological Research Station, San Vito, Costa Rica, December 2021 — It really is amazing how many different parrot species we saw at the Wilson Botanical Gardens at Las Cruces. What is more amazing, is the we were seeing so many good birds that no one really remarked on the number of parrots 🙂 This is the Blue-headed Parrot…for obvious reasons…terrible lighting, and way too far away, but still great to see. These took special effort in post-processing 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +2EV exposure compensation for the strong backlight (and then a lot of pumping up and black-point adjustment, as well as deep cropping and enlargement, in post).
Maine Spring edition: Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2022 — last year we only had glimpses of the Pine Warbler as it passed through, stocking up before finding more suitable nesting habitat. The year before it was here for a week or more, visiting the feeders under the pine, and a few times on the deck. This year both a full adult (probably a male) and a first year bird (probably a female, but it could, of course, be the other way around…or they might both be males or females???) have been on the deck several times a day for the past few days. The bright bird visits the suet feeder and the first year bird sticks to the deck and rail under the feeder, picking up crumbs. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. (Taken through the double pane thermal glass doors in the kitchen on a deeply overcast day.) ISO 1600 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
More action over papaya
Golden-crowned Euphonia (male and female), Scarlet-rumped Tanager: Las Cruces Biological Research Station (OTS), San Vito, Costa Rica, December 2021 — The male Golden-crowned Euphonia seems to think the papaya rind belongs to him and his mate, while the Scarlet-rumped Tanager begs to differ. I will probably share more on this in another post, but the Scarlet-rumped Tanager was considered two species until recently, Passerini’s on the Caribbean slope and Cherrie’s on the Pacific. This would be a Cherrie’s. Sony Rx10iv at 591mm equivalent. Program mode with wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Equivalent ISO 3200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine Spring edition: White-throated Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2022 — I still have lots of Costa Rican birds and wildlife to share but spring in southern Maine is definitely happening right now…so this is a special edition of Pic for today. Yesterday at dawn the first White-throated Sparrow scouts arrived out under our backyard pines, and by late afternoon the leaf litter under the pines was host to at least two dozen White-throated Sparrows. I say at least, because I have no idea if this was a coherent flock or individual birds from a stream passing through. There is nothing more “perky” than a White-throated Sparrow in fresh spring plumage. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Meeting over papaya
Speckled and Silver-throated Tanagers: Las Cruces Biological Station, San Vito, Costa Rica, December 2021 — I don’t often post photos of birds actually at the feeder, but sometimes the interactions of contrasting species that take place there are just too good to pass up. Both of these birds are common in mixed feeding flocks at the right elevations in Costa Rica (the Silver-throated is common everywhere in Costa Rica…I think it might cover the widest range in elevation of any Central American Tanager) so it is no surprise to see them together at the feeding station, but for those of who only visit Costa Rica once a year, it is still a rare treat. Sony Rx10iv at 591mm equivalent. Program mode with wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Equivalent ISO 1600 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Purple Finches
Purple Finch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I got out the photo blind for the first time this spring yesterday, as we are getting enough action to make it worth my time. I am thinking this at least a potential pair of Purple Finches. It is hard to tell if the “female” is actually a female or just (just?) an first year male…I see a hint of wash under the chin…if it stays around I will keep my eye on this bird. The male is unmistakable…and this one was in display mode…not full mating display with the fluttering wings…but he certainly wanted to be noticed. Note the erect crest and the puffed out chin…as well as the aggressive posture. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 320 and 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Specked Tanager
Speckled Tanager: Las Cruces Biological Research Station (OTS), San Vito, Costa Rica — I have shared this bird before, but not this photo, which is arguably the best of my Speckle Tanager shots from our visit to the Wilson Botanical Gardens and Las Cruces. Such an amazing bird! They are listed in my field guides as “common”, and often included in mixed feeding flocks, so relatively easy to see…if you happen to be in the foothills and mid-elevations of Costa Rica or Panama, or in scattered regions in northern South America…so not so common for most of us. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Equivalent ISO 5000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.