Sub-adult Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We have a pair of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds coming to our sugar water feeder many times a day, and have had all summer. I have seen them returning often to the pines over my feeding station by my back-yard photo blind, but if they are nesting there, the nest is too high for me to find it in the branches. There are at least two younger birds around now. This sub-adult male came and hovered right outside the window of my blind…eye to eye with me, and then at least toyed with the idea of bathing in my water bucket fountain, before perching very briefly for this shot…in the deep shade of course, but we take what we can get for hummingbirds here in Maine. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — This might be the second Black and White Warbler we have had in our yard over the past 20 years, but, if so, it is ONLY the second. I was totally surprised to see it land among the feeders at my photo blind. It came by a few times while I watched, but getting a photo was difficult. It was a very active bird, and was working, very Black and White like, close in to the branches behind the foliage. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Golden-crowned Kinglet!
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I got the chair-blind out again yesterday afternoon and spent an hour and a half watching chickadees come and go…along with the more occasional Chipping Sparrows. I was ready to pack it in when we got a sudden flurry of activity that included, not one, but two new birds for our yard. First a Black-and-white Warbler, and then a Golden-crowned Kinglet! I have seen both birds in Maine, but the Golden-crowned only in Acadia. This is female Golden-crowned, and a very scruffy bird at that…either it had been bathing recently or it is in molt. Still, a Golden-crowned Kinglet in our yard! You will probably see the Black-and-white Warbler tomorrow…unless I get something really spectacular today 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. The chair blind, by the way, is the best thing ever! It is a double blind…with two seats…so I have lots of room, and it packs up in seconds so I don’t have to leave it out.
Goldfinch: Another bird at the feeder blind
American Goldfinch, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The water feeder did not see much use during the spring but I had only just refilled it when this American Goldfinch came in for a drink. Perhaps it will be more popular here in late summer. I am impressed with the uniform color on this bird…when I closed the feeding station by the blind, in late June, the Goldfinches were still splotchy with new feathers coming in, though it was full breeding season. Now they are solid yellow. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Great Spangled Fritillary
Great Spangled Fritillary, Emmon’s Preserve, Kennebunkport, Maine — Here is a creature to inspire dreams…in this photo it looks like a fantastically winged horse…actually the Great Spangled Fritillary (great name!) is one of the larger butterflies in New England and always a treat to see. There don’t seem to be as many this year, even at Emmon’s Preserve where they are generally common in August. There also does not seem to be as much Joe Pie Weed…which seems to be a favored feeding plant for the Fritillaries. I found this plant and butterfly in the ditch along the hay field just as you emerge from the woods at Emmon’s. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Birds at the blind again
I resolved to fill the feeders under the pines this week, set up the water feature, and get the chair-blind out again and see what I could see. Of course the first birds active at the feeders were the Chickadees. They have not been coming to the porch feeders, which are out in full sun, as often as the summer wears on, but they were all over the feeders in shade. And you can never have too many chickadee photos…right? Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Jewelweed
It is Jewelweed season in Southern Maine. I found these growing along the Eastern Trail in Arundel yesterday, but there is generally a bunch of them in the ditch along Brown Street, just down from my house. I have not looked the past few days. Jewelweed is called “touch-me-not”…not because it is toxic to the skin, but because it has exploding seed-pods…in fact it is used in a soothing salve for skin irritations, including poison ivy. It is a member of the Impatience’s family, as you might guess from the shape of the flower. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm (tel-macro). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Pink Water Lily
Besides being Eastern Amberwing season at Roger’s Pond Park here in Kennebunk, Maine (see yesterday’s post), it is also Water Lily season. The pond has both white and pink lilies. This is an HDR shot, processed in Polarr and Apple Photos for the best balance of light and shadow. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Nominal exposure ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th. -1EV. (I say nominal since the camera took three exposures and combined them into this one HDR.)
Eastern Amberwing
My only reliable spot for Eastern Amberwings is Roger’s Pond along the Mousam River here in Kennebunk, Maine. I am sure they are elsewhere in the area but I have never found them. This seems to be the season for them in Southern Maine. This week the ones close to shore where I could photograph them were all males…vigorously defending territory from each other and attempting to avoid the larger dragons, Widow and Twelve-spotted Skimmers, on patrol. It is not an easy life when you are among the smallest of dragonflies 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Something different…
This is a different kind of photo than I normally post…or take for that matter, but I could not resist this purple pepper from our garden. We have a very short growing season here on Brown Street, due to the effects of the tide coming up the river on our micro-climate, but we did manage to grow this somewhat magnificent pepper this year. Carol brought it in when it began to pull the pepper plant over. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at about 80mm equivalent. HDR mode. Nominal exposure: ISO 2500 @ f8 @ 1/30th. -1 EV to hold the highlights as much as possible. Program shift for maximum depth of field. Hand held.