Posts in Category: beach
Maine! DoorDash delivery
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — I am still learning to capture Least Terns in flight with my OM-1Mkii and the M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom…playing with focus limits to speed up the focus. On this day the Terns were closer than I had figured, and I should have stopped shooting to adjust the inner limit. Hard to do when the terns are in the air all around you and carrying sand eels and you are litterally spinning around trying to get them in frame. This bird was just at my close limit for the day. I have adjusted it before my next outing. 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Air Traffic Control
Common and Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — At the mouth of one of our tidal rivers the Least Terns nest in great numbers, and the Common Terns are attracted by the sand eels. It is inevitable that they sometimes occupy the same airspace. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Excuse us! Can’t you see we are having a moment here?
Least Terns (and Piping Plover): York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — Lots of courting action on the beach a couple of days ago, with males showing off their sand eels to prospective females. The females did not seem overly impressed, or even very interested. ?? I guess it works for them, since the colony seems healthy. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. This is cropped to 1600mm equivalent field of view at least. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Diving again
Common Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — Two more diving shots, this time a Common Tern. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Both sides now
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — Least Terns hunting Sand Eels at the mouth of one of our rivers, along with Roseate and Common Terns. There is a large colony of Least Terns nesting one river south, and a few may nest on this beach…through there are no signs yet (other than the Fish and Wildlife protected area signs). The slope and shape of all our beaches were radically altered by the late winter and early spring storms. Terns in flight are always going to be a challenge to photograph. They are super acrobatic flyers as you see here where two similar postures show the underside and the upper-side of the wings. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! The dive!
Roseate Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — There were three species of Terns actively feeding at the mouth of one of our local rivers on Sunday: Roseate (pictured here), Common, and Least. The sand eels were plentiful. I set out to try to capture the diving terns and terns rising from the water, and the OM System OM-1Mkii and M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom did well, even at 800mm equivalent. Any faults in the photos are user error 🙂 This is Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. 16.7 frames per second in SH2 mode and 1/2500th and 1/2000th of a second. The hardest part was keeping the bird in frame as it dived and continuing to keep it in frame as it rose. The Roseate Tern tail features are a treat. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Incoming!
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, May 2024 — Being the object of a Least Tern’s attention on an open beach can be intimidating…which is, of course, the whole point of the exercise as far as the Tern is concerned. He does not want you there. In this case I was guilty by association. As I mentioned a few days ago, the Fish and Wildlife folks were busy moving the protected area ropes to include the nest site this Tern had selected outside the existing roped off area. I just happened to be there when it was happening, hoping for some Terns in flight shots. This is a stack of three shots from a sequence at 16 frames per second…not consecutive shots, but three selected to tell the story. The last shot was last with the Tern in frame before he pulled up to pass over my head with at least 6 inches to spare. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with the M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 400mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomatic and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Least Tern on the beach
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, May 2024 — As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the Least Terns are staking out nesting areas on our local beaches…mostly behind the protected area ropes. This one decided to pick a spot beyond the protected area and the Fish and Wildlife folks were there moving the ropes to include the potential nest site. A Tern on the sand is quite a different bird than a tern in the air. These guys were made to fly. This shot is from quite a distance, at 1600mm equivalent, using the OM-1Mkii’s built in digital tele-converted, the M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom, and cropped at that. You can see the effects of the heat shimmer over the sand in the sun. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Fight
Willits: York County, Maine, USA, May 2024 — I walked most of a mile in to one of the more distant beaches in York County to see if there were any Piping Plover chicks yet…there were not…but while I was looking, two of the many Willits in the area took sudden exception to each other’s presence and engaged in this tumbling, jumping, wing flapping, beak snapping fight just over the beach grasses. I was not close, but I got the camera into action mode and shot a few bursts to see what I could catch. One of them flew off and sulked on the sands down by the river’s edge, but no apparent harm was done to either bird. OM Systems OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Streeetttccchhh
Piping Plover: York County, Maine, USA, May 2024 — It is Piping Plover season again on southern Maine beaches, and I remind you (and myself) again to give them their space. Usual disclaimers here. I was further away than it looks from the photo and well outside the roped off nesting area. I do not approach the birds. Sometime they approach me, but when they do I do not move. Just another stump on the beach, me (although a stump with a camera). Occasionally they stretch. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.