Northern Cardinal, Kennebunk, Maine, USA There is a poem that goes with this.

Most days when I am out in the blind
waiting for birds to come fill my little
window, I hear the Cardinals calling.
There is one, a pair undoubtedly, that
lives down the street maybe six houses,
in a patch of wet woodland, and one
pair that lives on the loop of streets
behind us, in the little pine island
between our block and the next. At
least two pair then, in the neighborhood.
One evening after I had come in and we
were making supper I looked out and saw
a male Cardinal at the the feeders by
my blind…and I have waited, not all that
patiently, every day since for it to come
while I was there to see it. Kind of hoping
against hope since I have only ever
seen maybe three in our yard in the
25 years we have lived here. But today,
the male came. It wanted to drink from
the hanging bird bath, and worked it’s
way through the vines around it two
or three times without figuring out how
to do it. But oh the poses and the
postures and that red crest flaring,
and that big deep rose pearl of a beak
in the black mask and the little black pearl
of an eye…and the light was just right,
and I am satisfied, full on Cardinal, and
yes I am confident it won’t be long before
he figures out how to get to the bird bath,
and then, maybe he will bring his mate,
and then his brood when they fledge, and
we will have the red of Cardinals in our yard
most days. Wouldn’t that be something!

Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Eastern Bluebird, Kennebunk, Maine, USA. I am, of course, getting lots of “bird-at-the-feeder” shots from my new photo blind. For the most part, unless it is a really rare bird, or a bird that I am unlikely to get a “better” shot of (better being perched naturally away from the feeder), you will never see my bird-at-the-feeder shots. However, sometimes there is a shot at the feeder that, to my eye, has enough redeeming value to be part of my published work 🙂 Like this one. Great flat light. Bird doing something interesting in an interesting pose, etc. Bluebirds love mealworms, and we put out dried mealworms, which we buy 5 pounds at time on-line, particularly to attract them. This is one of my new feeders, one of the few that I have found that will actually dispense mealworms reliably, and is at least somewhat squirrel proof. (If a squirrel attempts to hang off the perch to feed the whole outer shell slides down on a spring and closes the feeder port.) We also have a cup like feeder on our back deck but we only put out a few mealworms at a time there so the squirrels do not get in the habit of raiding it. (I have our squirrels pretty much “deck-trained” after years of effort…but that is a whole other story.) On an interesting technical note, I have had to create a processing preset in Polarr specifically for Bluebirds. The blue is just too blue, and if you add any “vibrancy” at all, you lose a lot of the feather detail. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Black-capped Chickadee, Kennebunk, Maine, USA. You don’t actually need a blind to photograph chickadees up close. They will come to my feeders while I am actually out among them adding seed. The blind does give me the opportunity to observe them going about their business without being aware of me, and I am, of course, getting a lot of shots of chickadees in all manner of poses and settings. I like this shot for its aesthetic appeal. It is something about the way the berry shoots segment the frame, the touch of red from the out of focus berries themselves, and naturally neutral grey background…and, of course, the bird itself in all its native perkiness. The tack-sharp feather detail and the quality of the light helps too. All in all, to my eye, it is a beauty shot. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Purple Finch, Kennebunk, Maine, USA. In past years we have had individual Purple Finches at our feeders on a few occasions…generally females, but at least one male a year. They appear unpredictability and are never seen again that year. This year, for some unknown reason, we have Purple Finches at the feeders every day. We had one male who did his normal here and gone thing, but we have at least 3 females who have been here for more than a week, and show every sign of hanging around for the summer. Time will tell. It has me wondering though if this is just an “our yard” phenomenon, or a southern Maine, or even a New England phenomenon. Are we having an outbreak of Purple Finches this year? More likely I am just seeing more. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Tufted Titmouse, Kennebunk, Maine, USA I have been trying for 3 years now to get a decent photo of this Titmouse. It is part of a pair that started coming to our feeders 3 years ago, and have returned each year since. The mate is a normal Tufted Titmouse, with a grey chest and a bit of rust under the wings. I posted a photo of that bird a few days ago. I first I thought this bird had just gotten into something and stained its feathers…but when it returned the second year, and now the third, with this same plumage, I have to assume it is some kind of melanistic coloring. So, my fellow birders, have you ever seen the like? Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Chipping Sparrow, Kennebunk Maine, USA. To my mind (and eye) the Chipping Sparrow is one of the most elegant sparrows out there…from the deep rust of the cap, through the white eyebrow and the back eye-stripe, the white bib, and the well patterned brown of the wings and back…elegant all the way. I have gotten lots of photos of the Chipping Sparrows who are frequenting my new feeders by my photo blind on the feeders…but yesterday one posed on the tip of a branch for me. I always prefer shots away from the feeders. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

We have a pair of Titmice that frequent our yard. One of them has unique coloration…a dark bib covering the top third of the chest…this is the other one. I am still trying for a photo of the darker bird. It is particularly shy, perhaps suffering from a persecution complex do to its odd plumage. Anyway, I like this close up of the mate hanging off a bittersweet vine in front of my backyard photo blind. I will add a water feeder and a hanging bird bath to the feeder array by the blind today. I am still hoping for a shot of the melanistic titmouse before long. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

The House Finch, seen here in Kennebunk, Maine, USA, is often overlooked as “just another finch,” so common as not to require, or deserve, our attention. This male in fresh spring plumage, and in spectacular late afternoon light, makes it clear that we need to rethink our prejudices. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. Taken from my backyard photo blind.