Bobolink: York County, Maine, USA, May 2026 — It is bobolink season here in Southern Maine—or I should say the season when the males are up and singing and highly visible. Bobolinks have among the longest migrations of any North American birds, breeding mostly either side of the US-Canada border from coast to coast (with highest densities in the northern Great Plains and the plains of central Canada) and wintering in the pampas of South America—in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. They need expansive areas of unbroken mixed grasslands and huge meadows. Here in Maine, they are pretty much restricted to hay fields, and their breeding success is determined by when the hay is harvested. Clearly, they have more success on land that is managed for them—on refuges and reserves—but this population takes their chances each year in the fields of a working farm. While the Bobolink is in the same family as blackbirds, it is the only species in its genus, as its totally unique looks might suggest. I am always happy to find them singing from the tops of the tall saplings along the road and doing their flight displays over the fields when I pass on my eTrike. And of course, it is their bubbling liquid song that gives them their name. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at about 800mm equivalent field of view crop. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Raccoons: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Ohio, USA, May 2026 — No trip to Ohio for the Biggest Week in American Birding is complete without a selection of the “other” wildlife of the Erie Shore. This year we had this raccoon family nesting in a big dead tree along the Estuary Trail and showing well on my second walk out that way with my Point’nShoot for Warblers class. And I saw many turtles, 2 different deer, and several snakes. Not just warblers, and not even just birds. 🙂 Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at about 800mm equivalent crop. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Magnolia Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2026 — Because the foliage was so thick this year, I have lots of photos of pieces of warblers. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. The Magnolia Warbler was right at the minimum focus of the Sigma lens at 450mm equivalent field of view, so these are full-frame shots only cropped for composition. I literally could have reached out and touched this bird. 🙂 Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary as above. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Cedar Waxwings: Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, Wells, Maine, USA, May 2026 — I searched for Cedar Waxwings all winter in our ornamental cherry and crab apple trees here in town—without success—but found a flock of at least 15 yesterday, enjoying the hawthorn flowers—or the bugs that live in them—along the boardwalk through the wet maple swamp at Laudholm. They were a bit far—the hawthorn was unusually tall—but they provided a half hour of delight, before they moved on to other flowering trees in the forest. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at about 7-800mm equivalent field of view (cropped). Program with birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Painted Trillium: Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Wells, Maine, USA, May 2026 — Another favorite wildflower of May in Southern Maine. This year seems to be a good year at Rachel Carson for Trillium, after several years with very few flowers. Not that they are abundant, just a few more this year. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at 450mm equivalent field of view. Aperture program with macro modifications. f/18. Processed in Photomator.

Lady Slipper Orchids: Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Wells, Maine, USA, May 2026 — I honestly did not expect the Lady Slipper Orchids to be in bloom yet, after our cold, wet spring, but I thought I should check. Good thing I did! And it looks like it might be a good year for them. I always feel obliged to remind folks that you should not try to dig up and transplant Lady Slippers to your yard (and of course, you should not pick them). They depend on a partnership with a specific family of fungi for both germination (their seeds lack any energy store of their own) and throughout their lives for their supply of minerals. This fungi is only found around the roots of certain trees in the forest and will not be in your yard. Interestingly, they also “cheat” the bees that pollinate them, providing no nectar. The big, bright, fleshy bulb is basically a bee trap, and the bees pollinate the flowers as they try to escape. Who knew? Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300mm contemporary at 99 and 48mm equivalents. Aperture program with macro modifications (f18 for depth of field. Tripod mandatory!) Processed in Photomator and bokeh adjusted in Laminar Neo.

Northern Saw-whet Owl: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2026 — You just never know what you will see at Magee! This Northern Saw-whet Owl settled in a bushy tree right beside the boardwalk, and some sharp-eyed birder or photographer caught a glimpse of it, deep in the foliage, as they passed by. They reported it on eBird, and the ensuing crush of birders and photographers trying to find a clear line of sight through the heavy leaves lasted all day. We were only just around the corner when it was reported, and could not miss the instant flow of rapid traffic on the boardwalk, all headed the same way, so I asked what was being seen. I don’t generally chase birds, but we were close, and it is a very special bird, hard to find even in its own habitat, so we followed the line to the source. The crowd was not huge at that point, so I did manage a somewhat clear line of sight. The owl was very aware that its hiding place had been found, but not all that perturbed, and I am certain several thousand photos were taken over the course of the day, and going on a thousand birders got a look. The Saw-whet is one of the smallest of owls—7 or 8 inches tall and weighing a mere 2-5 ounces (about the same size and weight as a Bluejay, but almost perfectly round, so it looks a bit larger). Obviously, it is mostly feathers. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at 450mm equivalent field of view. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Black-throated Green Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2026 — The Black-throated Green Warbler is considered an early wave migrant in Ohio, along with the Black-and-White and the Palm. They seem to have lingered longer this season as they were only coming into their full strength as my week on the Erie shore progressed. Still, these are from my first trip around the boardwalk. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at about 600mm equivalent field of view. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Northern Yellow Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2026 — I first heard this bird called the Northern Yellow Warbler on the boardwalk at Magee this year. I have always known it as the Yellow Warbler, but apparently sometime last year, two of the three major ornithological societies split the Yellow Warbler into two species: the Northern Yellow and the Mangrove Yellow Warbler. The Northern is the migratory species we are all familiar with. The Mangrove, as its name suggests, is a resident bird of mangrove swamps around the Caribbean basin, and is, reportedly slightly larger and rounder. We live and learn. The Yellow Warbler by whatever name is always one of the first warblers, generally the first warbler, you see at Magee as they are numerous and very vocal in May. If they were not so common, most birders would pay more attention to them—and it is fun to see the bird tourists on the boardwalk enthusing over them—giving them the attention they really deserve. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at about 600mm equivalent field of view. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Nashville Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2026 — The Nashville Warblers were not nearly as numerous as other warblers at the marsh—but then they never are. There are two distinct populations. (Neither is resident in Nashville or Tennessee.) The eastern population has the highest breeding densities in Northern Michigan and Maine, but breeds as far south as Pennsylvania and across the mixed forests of eastern Canada—and the western population of the Pacific Northwest. They are, surprisingly (or I find it surprising), ground nesters, and prefer bushy open landscapes at the edges and in openings in the forest. Bogs especially. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at about 500mm equivalent. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.