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.

Black-throated Blue Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2026 — This warbler seems to always be buried in leaves and branches, but it gave us a few good views during the Biggest Week in American Birding. There seemed to be a lot of them compared to past years, but the exact timing of migration is never the same year to year. They actually breed in mixed forests at the higher elevations all across the Midwest and Northeast, and will down the Appalachian Mountain chain. Always an interesting bird to see. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at 450mm equivalent. Program with birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

American Redstart: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2026 — This little Redstart was tucked back in a little window of foliage within arm’s reach of the boardwalk rail, and was not bothered by a couple of photographers blocking his view—or maybe from the look on his face—not bothered much. 🙂 Redstarts might have been the second most present warbler in the marsh this week. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 at 450mm equivalent field of view. Program with birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Bay-breasted Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2026 — Another warbler coming through the marsh in numbers the past few days—the Bay-breasted, named for that rusty bib. The black face contrast’s nicely. The Bay-breasteds nest in the dense spruce and fir forests of the boreal belt across Canada, just dipping into the US from northern Maine to the mountains of New York State. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at 450mm equivalent field of view. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Magnolia Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2026 — I may have mentioned how difficult it is to photograph warblers at Magee this year. The leaves are full out. I cannot count the number of photos I have of pieces of this spectacular warbler—the Magnolia Warbler—showing through the leaves. Still, one good shot is all anyone needs, and more than anyone deserves. Such a gift. 🙂 And there is still tomorrow. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at 450mm equivalent field of view from about 4 feet. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Chestnut-sided Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2026 — Today was a Chestnut-sided Warbler day at Magee. When they come through in numbers, there is no bird more confiding. They will work, like the Prothonotaries, within a few inches of the boardwalk rail, with a crowd of birders and photographers looking on. This is a full-frame shot, not cropped at all, at 450mm equivalent from just over 3 feet. Part of the attraction of Magee Marsh in May. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.