Posts in Category: birds
Maine! Fledgling Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing (fledgling): York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — Just as I was getting ready to leave, a flock of 30 or more Cedar Waxwings made a lightning raid on a choke-cherry tree where I had parked my eTrike while I took a walk out to the pond and back. They were popping and out of the tree, staying mostly hidden, and then flew off to shelter from the noon-day sun in depths of a young white birch clump. By then I had realized that at least 2/3s of them were this year’s fledglings. Must have been a productive year. I like the neutral grey plumage with the back, white, and yellow accents. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Stretch
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — We have a couple of migrant Ruby-throats dominating our feeders the past few days. I caught this young male stretching in the low level light of late afternoon. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. -1 ev. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Greater Stopover
Greater Yellowlegs: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — We only see the Yellowlegs during migration in Maine…mostly in the late summer and fall when they are on their way south from the Canadian nesting grounds. We see way more Greater than Lessor for some reason. In my experience, they like the marshes along the tidal rivers well behind the dunes. This is my first of the season. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-75 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Standing on one leg
Great Egret: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — There are still large numbers of Great and Snowy Egrets along our tidal rivers, and in the marshes at either side. Perhaps more now than a week ago. In my (limited) experience it seems we have increasing numbers year to year for the past 3 years. This bird was fairly close to one of my paths through the marsh and posed nicely in the August sun. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Scruffy Bluebird
Eastern Bluebird: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — I think this is our resident female Bluebird, after a long nesting season. Her latest fledglings are out and about these past few weeks, and that was at least her second nest. She has always had a plumage challenge…never matched the elegance of her mate…but they have successfully fledged at least 4 chicks each summer for the past 4 or 5 years. 🙂 Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Almost Rose-breasted
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — We only get Rose-breasted Grosbeak in our yard about twice a year. For a few days in the spring on their way north, and maybe once in the fall on their way south. This one appears to be a somewhat ratty looking young male just coming into its adult plumage. It will be nice and bright by the time it comes back through in the spring, if we catch it as it passes. I would have missed this one if a hummingbird had not been attempting to come in the open deck door wile it happened to be on the feeder. Or maybe the hummer was altering me. I could think that. 🙂 Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Perky personified
Red-breasted Nuthatch: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — Okay, maybe not “personified”, maybe “perky animated”? But you get the point. Nothing perkier than a Red-breasted Nuthatch. Fast. Spritely. Alert. And Flighty. We have been graced with this one (or several that look just like this one) over the past few rainy days, coming for sunflower seeds. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VDX zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Hummer at the fuchsia
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (immature male): York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are coming back south down the coast and we have, as I noted a few days ago, a young male that is attempting to dominate the feeder. At the beginning of the summer we hung a fuchsia plant next to the feeder, on the advice of a friend who gets lots of hummers visiting the flowers. We have watched all summer, and this new young male is the first to do so on a regular basis. These images are early morning shots, on a cloudy day, so the light was less than optimal, especially for the high shutter speeds I wanted for the hummer, but still. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my action and flight modifications. Animal/bird subject detection auto focus. ISO 12,800. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Feed me!
Least Tern: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — The Least Tern chicks are fully fledged and have been flying around the beach for weeks, but they aren’t hunting on their own yet. They gather in little pods to wait for mom or dad to bring them a Sand Eel or Rock Gunnel, all calling out softy until an adult appears and then really squawking. It can’t be long now before the adults leave them to their own devices. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my action and flight modifications. Animal/bird subject recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Walk this way
Snowy Egret: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — We have a lot of smoke from the wildfires to the west of us in the air right now, and it makes everything sort of soft…at least when photographing (not to mention making it a bit hard to breathe). It does not seem to be bothering the birds, though it is hard to tell. This Snowy Egret was in the marsh quite close to the path. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird recognition auto focus. Highlight metering mode. Processed in Photomator.