Maple blossoms
Maple Blossoms: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2025 — I am always eager for the Maples in our yard and our neighborhood to blossom. The flowers often go unnoticed, and under appreciated…just a red haze in the tall maple trees. But up close they are quite beautiful. If you can find a low hanging branch, take a look. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at various focal lengths for framing. Program mode.
Toucan
Yellow-throated Toucan: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 —After hanging out in tops of the trees over the crest of the drop to the river below, the Yellow-throated Toucans finally came in to the bananas hanging on the jungle vine right in front of us…so close I could not use the full 600mm reach of my Tamron lens. Magnificent, if somewhat clowny looking, birds. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 513mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Rapid run
Batson River, Emmon’s Preserve, Kennebunkport, Maine, April 2025 — Relatively high water on the Batson River (more of a brook really) in Emmon’s Preserve (Kennebunkport Land Trust). Still no leaves on the trees so this is just about as bright as this stretch of water gets. Sony a5100 with Sony 10-18 f4 at 15mm equivalent. Shutter Preferred at 1/40th. Processed in Photomator.
Hermit
Hermit Thrush: York County, Maine, USA, April 2025 — I went out looking for Trout Lily again yesterday as the temperatures climbed up into thee 70s…still only leaves were I looked, but there were quite a few Hermit Thrushes, along with a small flock of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, moving through the waking forest. The Thrushes were not singing, but once I saw one, I saw half a dozen more moving through at eye-level and on the ground, all within 100 yards of each other. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Mrs. Green
Green Honeycreeper: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — This is the female Green Honeycreeper, and obviously the bird that gave the species its name. If you will remember, I posted Mr. Green a few days ago, and he is more turquoise than green. (His eye is redder too. 🙂 Still, you rarely see a bird as green as the female green honeycreeper. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Olive-backed Euphonia
Female and Male Olive-backed Euphonia: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — The Euphonias are small colorful finches of the lowland forests of Central America…looking and acting a lot like our Goldfinches…except that they eat more fruit and are even more varied in color. As you might guess from the name, they are all sweet singers. These two Olive-backed, likely a pair, not the brightest or most colorful of the clan by far were coming to the bananas young Dave put out next to the photo area. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Eddy art
Emmon’s Preserve, Kennebunkport, Maine, April 2025 —Water heavily laden with tannins from decaying leaves and high spring stream levels work with gravity and fluid dynamics and the April sun to create art in the eddies. Sony a5100. 10-18 f4 zoom at 27mm. Superior Auto. Photomator and LikeAFrame.
Red-throated Ant-tanager
Red-throated Ant-tanager: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. March 2025 — So, being me, I had to see if I could find out why it is an Ant-tanager? It seems they get the name from their habit of following ant swarms or ant trails to pick off other insects that are disturbed by the ants’ passage, and from their resemblance to tanagers. They were once placed in the “true tanager” family based on that resemblance. Some, like this Red-throated Ant-tanager, are now thought to be more closely related to the cardinals. (Maybe one day they will be the Red-throated Ant-cardinal? ) This is the best look I have ever had at this bird. Generally, as the name suggests, they are skulking around on the ground in dark corners under bushes where the ants live. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Crocus Spring
We had one mild, sunny spring day this week, and the Crocus buds opened for a few hours. They have been tight closed since, but they might peek out again today. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at various focal lengths for macro and framing. Aperture preferred for depth of field control (my standard macro settings). Processed in Photomator.
Mr Green
Green Honeycreeper: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — For any photographer who loves birds, it does not get much better than this. Dave and Dave have the ideal setup for photography…great light, great birds, great backgrounds. This male Green Honeycreeper, with its bright red eye and amazing yellow gape, and super fine plumage, is just about the perfect subject as well. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.