Brown-headed Cowbird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — If there were an award for the least colorful bird in North America, surely the female of the Brown-headed Cowbird would be a contender. I won’t say it is the least attractive bird I have ever seen, but from any distance at all, the bird looks dull gray on gray, relieved only by the heavy black beak and big black eye. If it were any more dull it would disappear all together. If you look closely at these photos you will see that there is a subtle pattern under (or behind, or within) the gray, that is at least more interesting. And of course, the feather detail is also worth a look. Thing is, being a cowbird…messy, aggressive, feeder-hog that it is…and a known nest (or brood) parasite to birds that are easier to love, we might be just a bit prejudiced in judging its looks or attractiveness. Brood parasites, like the Brown-headed Cowbird, lay their eggs in other birds nests (in this case many warblers) and the larger and more aggressive BHCB chick hogs all the food that is intended of the true nestlings, to their detriment, and, often, demise. Not an easy bird to appreciate. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm from my backyard photo blind. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Chipping Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The Chipping Sparrows have been back for several days now, but I did not have a good photo op until late yesterday afternoon, when the sun came back out under the clouds on the horizon and lit up my photo blind area under the trees. This bird was about 8 feet in front of the blind. An elegant little bird, always, and lots of fun to watch. They are very active all summer, but especially active now during courting season. Lots of chasing and gyrations in the air. They are unusually agile even for a bird 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent, from my backyard photo blind. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Pine Siskin: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — There are years when we do not see any Pine Siskins in our yard…in fact, most years we do not see any. They must pass through each year, but it is rare that they visit our feeders. I had to do a double take when this bird landed on one of the feeders under the trees by my backyard photo blind. Right size and shape for another Goldfinch…but no…right coloration (on first glance) for a female House Finch…but no. Pine Siskin! In the photo you can see what I could not see from my blind…the touch of yellow in the wings. This is a dullish female, but even so a delight to see up close. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Tufted Titmouse: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — While the titmice are easy to photograph at the feeders, it is harder to get an unobstructed shot away from the feeders. They tend to bury themselves in twigs and foliage. While the leaves are still sleeping it is a bit easier. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. From my backyard photo blind. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Song Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I always scatter some mixed seed under the feeders when I go out to sit in my backyard photo blind…mostly for the juncos, sparrows, doves, and the occasional cardinal…all of whom seem to enjoy foraging for the seed among the leaf litter. Most of them will come quite close to the blind, though it does mean opening the window all the way down so I can get an angle on them. This Song Sparrow took most of an hour to work its way forward into plain sight. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus .3 EV (I did not need the EV for this shot, but it was set from shots against the bright background around the feeders.)

Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I never get tired of watching bluebirds. As I may have observed before, they seem to have an infinite variety of moods. I mean, a chickadee is pretty much a chickadee…chirpy to one degree or another…while a bluebird can strike a pose anywhere been obvious anger and apparent sorrow, and, rarely, even happiness. This one seems to be deeply considering something. Maybe just the leap to the mealworm feeder…but maybe also the more existential question of whether the mealworm feeder will have worms in it tomorrow, and the day after, and all through the coming nesting season. ?? Fun to speculate…but, of course, a meaningless exercise. Bluebirds just are. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent from my backyard photo blind. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus .3 EV exposure compensation.

Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — When shooting from my backyard photo blind, I prefer shots of my birds away from the feeder, but I also photograph them when they are on the feeder…you just never know what interesting behavior you might catch. I can testify that this bluebird is not singing or calling…just a big gulp. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus .3EV exposure compensation. The red behind the feeder is a thankfully temporary road construction sign on the street a block over. 🙂

Downy Woodpecker: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The Downy Woodpeckers are as faithful at the feeders as the Chickadees, but there are, at least by appearances, only two of them, most of the year. One male and one female. When the young fledge we will have at least one extra for the remainder of the summer, but by fall we are back to our nesting pair. Of course, we might have more than one nesting pair visiting our feeders, in shifts, two at a time, and I would never know. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Song Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The Song Sparrows were back under the feeders at my backyard photo blind before any other migrant bird. That is too be expected, as they are early birds in the fields and marshes here in Southern Maine as well. However, this will be only the second year we have had them in our yard regularly so I was happy to see them. They don’t sing often around they yard, but I caught this one up on the fence behind the feeding station, giving song. Technically this is an interesting photo for a couple of reasons. First it is an extreme crop from the full frame as even at 600mm equivalent, the distance was great and the bird was tiny (a 2.8mp crop from a 20mp frame, or the equivalent of a 4200mm lens), and second because I used “Machine Learning Super Resolution” in Pixelmator Photo to enlarge the crop and restore some of the resolution (bringing back up to 6.8mp). Depending on where you view this (on my blog or on FaceBook or Instagram) and on what size screen you view it on, you may or may not be able to appreciate the level of detail the combination of the ZEISS lens, the Sony sensor, and the Pixelmator software was able to render under challenging conditions. It will not stand up to pixel peeping, as the Machine Learning part becomes evident, but it is pretty impressive at normal viewing sizes. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.