Maine! Northern Blazing Star Show
Our first August in Maine I was driving out past the Kennebunk Plains in August and saw the Northern Blazing Star show for the first time. It was like this, dense and lush and covering the plains…and I have not seen it like this since, until this year. It has been good, and beautiful, in past years, but not like this! And under a perfect August Maine sky. Sony A5100 with the kit 18-50mm zoom at 24mm equivalent. Intelligent Auto. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos.
Maine! Ruby-throat again
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — Of course, while working the feeder for gorget shots of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, I got lots of shots where the gorget is not lighted. In this one you an see a few spots of incandescents, but mostly it is a study in the other plumage details. 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom. Program mode with my custom birds modifications and the minimum shutter speed bumped up. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 3200 @ f6.3 @ 1/1250th.
Maine! Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — I spent a few hours sitting in a chair in the kitchen, just inside the open deck door, with my camera on a monopod…or eventually on my travel tripod…attempting, mostly, to catch the gorget of the male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that are coming to our feeder. Of course I took photos of any and all comers to the deck feeders as they allowed me to. All in all a productive afternoon. Which is good, since two days of steady rain, and then rain on and off yesterday, have kept me from going further afield for photos. I might get out to a few spots this Sunday morning as there is no rain in the forecast. This was taken with only natural light without direct sun. Pretty good okay, if I do say so myself. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 2000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Blue Heron Sandwich on White Bread
Great Egrets and Great Blue Heron: York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — Blue Heron sandwich between two slices of white bread 🙂 Another scene from the sandbar at the mouth of our local river. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f9 @ 1/1000th. -.7EV
Maine! Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee: York County, Maine, USA — One of the most common of our backyard birds here in southern Maine…and a noisy one at that. He sat and sang on our deck for a long time…especially considering the season, mid-August. A rare treat. Not the best light. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird settings. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 10000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Greater Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs: York County, Maine, USA — Among the birds I found in the tidal pools in the marsh while looking for stray egrets was this Greater Yellowlegs, caught here on its own reflection. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f63 @ 1/640th.
India! Tiger!
Tiger: Rathambore National Park/Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — It is time to finish up my photos from our March 2023 trip to India. We worked hard for these photos of a young female Tiger at Rathambore…which we only found on our very last safari into the park. We spent most of an afternoon with her, as she rested in the shade across a pond from us. She is only a few years old, and had her first cubs with her, hidden somewhere in the deeper brush. Truly a privilege to spend time with her…and, for many of us, birders that we were, the highlight of our trip. The next morning early, we were on the train back to Delhi and one last night at a hotel and then the airport. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. Assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine! Crow
American or Fish Crow? York County, Maine, USA — Both are possible in York County and I have seen, or rather, heard both. American is more common, but on a silent perched bird like this it is really hard to say. If anyone can see something on this bird that would make it one or the other, please let me know. 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/1000th.
Maine! Great Egret
Great Egret: York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — Another shot of a bird way out in the marsh! Great Egret looking very regal against the marsh grasses. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 320 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron: York County, Maine, USA — By the time I got out yesterday morning the tide was at full, and the sandbar at the mouth of our local river was completely under water. The congregation of egrets and herons that gather there at other tides was dispersed far and wide in the marsh pools looking for food. I did an explore up and down the Bridle Path through the marsh to see if I could find any close…but they were pretty far out in the marsh when I did find any. This Great Blue Heron was about as close as I could get. Even at 800mm equivalent, there was just too much moist, moving air between us. 🙂 Still, it is a satisfying image for its range of tones and textures, and for the interesting details that the wind is revealing in the plumage. I think. 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 250 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.