Tom Turkeys, Laudholm Farms, Wells Maine

When I found this rafter (flock) of Wild Turkeys across from the Trust building at Laudholm Farms, I assumed they were all hens, as I have never seen a large group of anything but hens in Maine. However, looking at the photos this morning for this post I realized that they were, in fact, all males, mostly mature Toms, and a few young Toms, or Jakes among them. I would not have believed that there were this many Toms in all of York County, let along all together in one field at Laudholm Farms. If there are this many Toms (there were 20 or more in the rafter), then that must mean that there are literally hundreds of hens somewhere in the woods around us. That is a good thing I think. In the photo above there are three birds. Note the one looking over the back of the bird in the foreground. Such a look! 🙂 Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/500th @ f4 @ ISO 250. Processed in Polarr. The title, of course, is a play on the name of a famous toothpaste and deodorant company founded right here in Kennebunk Maine.

Slaty Skimmer, Day Brook Pond, Kennebunk Plains WMA, Maine

It was a good day for Slaty Skimmers on my last visit to Day Brook Pond on the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area in southern Maine this week. They were by far the most numerous Odonata. This panel shows three poses, and three different individuals. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with Program Shift for greater depth of field. Processed in Polarr and assembled in FrameMagic.

Calico Pennant, male and female, Martha’s Pennant, Halloween Pennant

I went out to Day Brook Pond on the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area in West Kennebunk, Maine the other day, looking mostly for dragonflies and damselflies. Best day yet this summer. Lots of Slaty Skimmers and a few Spangled Skimmers, a Widow Skimmer, Blue Dashers and Eastern Pondhawks, and 3 different Pennants. Both male and female Calico Pennant, my first females of the season, the males by the pond and the female well out in the dryer area of the plains, a lone Martha’s Pennant out over the pond, and a female Halloween Pennant hunting with the female Calico. In the panel they are Calico Male, Calico Female, Martha’s, and Halloween. Sony RX10iv at 600mm. Program mode. Processed in Polarr and assembled in FrameMagic.

Very worn Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Kennebunk Plains WMA, Maine

I find it somewhat amazing that this very worn, perhaps injured, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is still on the wing and busy in the Dogbane. It looks like it may have survived a bird attack…or at least a long rough life among the plants on the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area here in Southern Maine. It was still very busy gathering nectar from the last flowers of the Dogbane. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/500th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr.

Blue Dasher, SMHC drainage ponds, Kennebunk Maine

The little Blue Dasher is one of the most attractive of dragonflies, and one of the most common in summer here in Southern Maine. This year in particular it seems to dominate the drainage ponds at the Southern Maine Health Care campus here in Kennebunk. I am not sure there are more Blue Dashers…perhaps just fewer of other species. And, of course, the other thing about Blue Dashers is that they pose for pictures so nicely…unlike many of the other species flying right now. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. -3EV. 1/500th @ f4 @ ISO 200. Processed in Polarr.

Snowy Egrets, Laudholm Farms, Wells Maine

On my photoprowl the other day around the outer loop of trails at Laudholm Farms (Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve) by the time I got to the deck overlooking the Little River Marsh the fog was coming in. I almost missed these 4 Snowy Egrets on the drift wood snag out at the edge of the fog. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. 1/1000th @ f5 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr.

White Admiral, Laudholm Farms, Wells, Maine

I took a little photoprowl around the outer loop at Laudholm Farms (Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve) yesterday. One of the treats was this pretty fresh looking White Admiral. We get both White Admiral and Red Spotted Purple here at the northern edge of the overlap zone…and undoubtedly some hybrids as well. Here, White Admiral is by far the more common of the two. I am not sure I have ever gotten a good look at the underside wings. Pretty impressive. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/1000th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr and assembled in FrameMagic.

Wood Lily, Day Brook Pond, Kennebunk Plains WMA, Maine

While it is still Wood Lily season, another shot of a lily at the edge of Day Brook Pond on the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area, this time with some context. Sony RX10iv in-camera HDR at 24mm equivalent. Program Shift for greater depth of field. I moved the focus spot using the touch screen to put it over the lily in this composition.

Bumble Bee in Rugosa Rose, Kennebunk Maine

Yesterday was a day of diffused light and light fog along the coast, and the light added intensity to the greens and pinks of this shot of a Beach Rose (Rugosa Rose) along the edge of Rt 9 where it crosses the Mousam River. I had stopped for the landscape, but I could not resist the bee in the rose. Sony RX10iv at the 600mm. 1/640th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr.