Posts in Category: beach

Maine! Surprise!

Common Tern and Monarch Butterfly: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — Imagine my surprise when processing my photos from the actively feeding Common Terns at the mouth of the river to find this interloper in the frame. I certainly did not see the Monarch while panning to follow the tern…though the Monarchs must be passing through down the coast as I saw several yesterday, and those are the first of the season. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Animal/bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Showing off those semi-palms

Semi-palmated Plover: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — Ever wonder why it is semi-palmated? Take a look at the raised left leg. See the webbing? Semi-palmed. 🙂 Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird subject detection auto focus. A dull over cast day at the beach. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Standing guard

Least Tern with chick: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — This was a week ago on our local beach. This might be the last of the chicks from this year’s hatch. There are already fledglings flying practice runs up and down the beach. This chick is probably 4 days old…old enough to wander a ways from the old nest. I just happened to catch it hunkered down. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! In its element

Common Tern: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — there was a flock of Common Terns avidly feeding where the fresh and salt water’s mix in a tidal creek as the tide went out. They were swooping and circling over the water, diving down to hover and then strike. Beauty in motion. Birds totally in their element. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Animal/bird subject recognition and auto focus. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Another sand bar encounter: do you come here often?

Great Egret: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — Two Great Egrets walked onto a sand bar. The title options are pretty much limitless. 🙂 The light was almost perfect for shooting Great Egrets…bright enough to bring out detail, but not so bright as to burn out detail. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Animal/Bird recognition and auto focus. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Red Admiral

Red Admiral Butterfly: Kennebunk Bridal Trail, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2024 — I posted a White Admiral from the Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy property, inland from us, a week ago, and someone mentioned the Red Admiral in a comment. Here is a Red Admiral from the sea side of our house, down near the ocean on the Kennebunk Bridal Path. It is a beautiful butterfly, and the setting, on the Queen Ann’s Lace and in front of the out-of-focus beach roses with some fruit already here at the end of July, only makes for a better image. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Insect detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Out on the sandbar

Great Egret, Snowy Egret, imm. Herring Gull: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — The Egrets are beginning to gather again, populating the sandbars at low tide. Always mixed company, with both egrets, lots of gulls, and the occasional Great Blue Heron. A lively crowd generally, with lots of interaction and not a little showing off. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/Bird subject detection and focus. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! White in Flight

Great Egret: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — A Great Egret winging its way upriver to the sand bars. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Animal/Bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Such a pretty little thing

Least Tern (fledgling): York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — The Least Tern chicks are fledging the past few days…testing their wings in sort flights up and down the beach. This one was well outside the protected area, out on the open beach. I don’t know why, but there is something uniquely attractive about the Least Tern at this stage of its development. Subtly beautiful, with a hint of the elegance to come. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal and Bird subject recognition. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Transition

Least Tern (chick transitioning to feathers from down): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2024 — This is one of the oldest of the Least Tern chicks from this year’s hatch at our local beach, already transitioning from down to adult feathers, and looking pretty natty doing it. This bird will be flying and feeding itself in another few weeks. For now the adults are keeping close watch and feeding it several times a day. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent (and cropped heavily). Program mode with my evolving bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.