Wandering Glider
Wandering Glider: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — lots of Wandering Gliders coming in off the ocean and over the dunes the other day. You could stand and watch them pass in an apparently endless stream. I even tried a few flight shots. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Dot-sight. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Lily
Lily: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — We have a few of these Lilies in the yard. This is the first to bloom. We call them “oriental lilies” to differentiate them from the Day Lilies we also have. The flowers are very similar but the plants are considerably different. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 75mm equivalent. Aperture preferred (my macro modifications) at f5.6 and 1/30th. Processed in Photomator.
Happy tern (not so happy fish)
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — Continuing to experiment with the dot-sight for photographing terns in flight, I finally found some fishing yesterday at the mouth of the river. It will take more practice than I have had so far but I am happy with this shot of the tern rising with its catch. The dot sight makes it just a bit easier, but, in the long run I don’t think it is increasing the number of keeper I get…just maybe cutting down the time it takes to get one. I still throw away a 100 shots for every one I keep. But it is a lot of fun trying 🙂 I will go back at least one more time before the terns disperse and leave the dot sight at home. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Dot-sight. Processed in Photomator.
Sheep Laurel in the shade
Sheep Laurel: Kennebunk Bridle Path, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — I had to look it up this morning (and I really wish I hadn’t). Sheep Laurel gets its name because it is poisonous to sheep and other grazers. And it is otherwise such a pretty plant! Without a hint of malice…but then that is probably what makes it dangerous. I will never look at it quite the same way though. Here seen deep in the shade of the forest, back 20 yard from the edge of the marsh. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 105mm. Aperture preferred for depth of field. f13 which gave me 1/30th (I really should have had my tripod.) Processed in Photomator.
Iris
Blue Flag Iris (wild Iris): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — This is, of course, a digital composition…or, as I like to call them, digital confection. The close up Iris is added, to simulate (or perhaps stimulate) the way our attention works when we encounter this in nature. We see the clump of Iris in all its glory next to the old birch trunk…a riot to color and texture and form, but that does not take our full attention…because we also, in our mind’s eye, see the intricate detail off the Iris flower. Much ado about nothing maybe, but maybe not. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 75mm with my marco modifications to Aperture mode (f22 for maximum depth of field) and 600mm at f6.3 for the close up. Processed in Photomator and assembled (confected) in Pixomatic.
Cardinals
Northern Cardinal: Magee Marsh, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2025 — Walking the Estuary Trail out behind the boardwalk at Magee, I can on these two cardinals making ready to mate and nest. Not a great photo…to far…but still a great moment. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm (and heavily copped). Program with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Volcano
Volcano Hummingbird: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — One of the two smallest hummingbirds (with the very similar Scintillated) in the mountains of Costa Rica. This one was working the flowers around the observation deck at Batsu, high above the Savegre River on the mountain side. Despite being only small, they are totally fearless. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
On its own already
Piping Plover chick: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — I have been seeing photos of this piping plover chick since it hatched a week ago, but not seen it myself until Monday. They blend in so well with the sand, and it is, after all, only one tiny puff of feathers and toothpick legs. It is so small and so fuzzy, that the camera still will not focus on it even at a week old. It is pretty much independent now. The parents have even given up trying to keep it corralled to the safe zone behind the nesting area ropes. It is running all over the beach. Which is probably why I finally saw it. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent (and heavily cropped at that). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Least Tern
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, June 2025 — Sometimes we encounter angels unaware…and sometimes they are intent on pooping on us 🙂 I had to quit when one scored a direct hit on my dot-sight and my lens (not to mention the face behind them). And yes, I have been experimenting with a dot sight…or reflex sight…to better target the angels. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications (trying minimum shutter speed 1/4000th). Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Sing a little song
Magnolia Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2025 — This Magnolia hung out, avidly feeding, along the same stretch of boardwalk for two days running. Of course it possible that there were multiple Mangonias over the course of the two days, and we humans are just not equipped to differentiate. 🙂 I always like to catch them in song. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.