Day Lily, the yard, Kennebunk, Maine

Our Day Lilies bloom at least two weeks later than the lilies just a quarter mile up the street, and a week later than the lilies just down the street. I think we sit right in a cold pocket, and certainly our yard is more shaded than most. On the other hand, along our driveway, we have double lilies…lilies that produce complex blossoms that have at least twice the number of flower parts they need…one flower nestled inside the other. In other parts of the yard our lilies are normal. ?? This is one of the doubles. Sony RX10iv at 465mm. Program mode with Program Shift for greater depth of field. 1/100th @ f9 @ ISO 500, in late afternoon shade. Processed in Polarr.

Tree Swallow, Day Brook Pond, Kennebunk Plains WMA, Maine

They put up two new Wood Duck boxes at Day Brook Pond on the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area last fall, in addition to the one that was already there, and, of course, this year all three have Tree Swallows nesting in them. I am not sure they appreciate the effort that went into their new homes…but as the Wood Ducks apparently don’t either, better Tree Swallows than nothing at all. 🙂 Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/200th @ f8 @ ISO 100. (I was using program shift for Wood Lilies and did not reset it for the swallow 🙂 Processed in Polarr.

Round hay bales, Kennebunk Maine

It is that time of year here in Southern Maine. They are rolling up the fields of hay into round bales. Round bales were rare in upstate New York in the 50’s and 60’s when I sometimes helped my cousins to bale hay. They are efficient if you leave the hay in the field. If you move it to barns then rectangular bales make a whole lot more sense. Here in Southern Maine, round bales are the rule. I don’t think I have ever seen a rectangular bale. I will admit, I like round bales. And I like this time of year, in part, because of them. Sony RX10iv at 24mm. In-camera HDR. Nominal exposure: 1/1000th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr.

Wood Lilies, Kennebunk Plains WMA, Maine

A cluster of Wood Lilies is even more rare than a Wood Lily itself. They generally grow singly. Even so, a cluster is likely several individual plants growing close. I have only ever found a few plants with multiple blossoms on the same stalk. Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area in West Kennebunk, Maine. Sony Rx10iv at 238mm equivalent. 1/1000 @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr.

Common Whitetail Dragonfly, Day Brook Pond, Kennebunk Plains WMA, Maine

There seem to be fewer Dragonflies at Day Brook Pond on the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area here in Southern Maine this year than last, but maybe it is just that I am not getting to the pond on the right days. On my last visit, in search of Wood Lilies, the only dragon I saw was the Common Whitetail, and I only saw a few of those. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. 1/800th @ f4 @ ISO 100. -.3EV. Processed in Polarr.

Male and female Mountain Trogon, Opatoro Highlands, Honduras.

I am making up panels for my article on the Honduran Highlands from my trip with Alex Alvarado and Honduran Birds. These shots of a male and female Mountain Trogon from our day in the Opatoro Highlands shows my favorite bird of the day. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/500th @ f4 @ ISO 1250. Processed in Polarr.

Green Metallic Bee on Wood Lily, Kennebunk Plains WMA, Maine

I only saw my first tiny Green Metallic Bee a few years ago. Before that I was totally unaware of their existence…and not blissfully unaware either. When I first saw one I was amazed. What a creature. So small. So shinny. So green. So metallic. I had to google the creature to find out what it was. So okay, finding out it was called a “Green Metallic Bee” was bit of a let-down. I expected something more exotic maybe…but still, they are fascinating creatures. Combine Green Metallic Bees with the brief beauty of Wood Lily, and it is almost too much to bear. 🙂 Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/500th @ f4 @ ISO 640. Processed in Polarr.

We went refrigerator shopping in Sanford yesterday morning and drove past the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area, which reminded me that the Wood Lilies might be in bloom. It is getting on for that time of year. I checked by Smugmug albums from last year to see when I had photographed them…July 17…and the weather app for yesterday and today. Rain in forecast for most of today, so I got on my eBike and rode out to the Plains yesterday afternoon, despite the heavy overcast overhead. It has been a dry summer. We desperately need the rain today, so I hope it does come. I rode out from under the cloud shadow by the time I got to the plains. The Wood Lilies are in bloom, but the dryness has made this year’s crop much more sparse, and the plants themselves are, surprisingly, much taller. Last year most of the lilies were right down at ground level. This year I found none under 2 feet tall. Also, almost all the lilies I found in bloom were tucked up under other plants, in partial shade for some of the day, or in the full shade at the edge of the forest. There is nothing that quite matches the color of the Wood Lily. If the bloom were not so brief, and the plants not so particular in their habitat, the Wood Lily would have been domesticated long ago as an ornamental. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with Program shift for greater depth of field. 1/320th @ f8 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr.

Purple Gallinule, Lake Yojoa, Honduras

I am still working on the full article on my trip with Honduran Birds and Alex Alvarado to the highlands of Honduras in May, and looking back through the photos I am finding a lot that I have not yet shared. This Purple Gallinule was catching snails along the boardwalk that lead to the boat dock at a resort at the edge of Lake Yojoa. I like the bird, and I like the multicolored setting of the mismatched boardwalk boards. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/500th @ f4 @ ISO 400. Processed in Polarr.

Bog Copper, and three Summer Azures, 2 well worn males, Laudholm Farms, Wells Maine

There were lots of tiny butterflies at Laudholm Farms when I was looking for Grass Pink Orchids the other day. I am not an expert on Blues, or butterflies in general, but I think I have 3 Summer Azures here. The first bug is almost certainly a Bog Copper. That is the upper surface of the wing. The wing toward us is edge on. Until recently the Summer Azure was considered the summer form of the Spring Azure, but the thinking now is that it is a separate species. Though they are well worn, I think there is too much dark fringe on the open wings of these to be Spring Azures. The closed wing Blue is harder, but since Summers are flying in Southern Maine in July, I am calling it a Summer. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong 🙂 Sony RX10iv at 600mm. Program mode. 1/500th or 1/1000th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr and assembled in FrameMagic.