Posts in Category: wildlife
Cardinal dance
Northern Cardinal: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, February 2023 — The birds were not only active at the feeders during the end of February snow-storm, they were active around the feeders…particularly active, bouncing around, fluttering, being generally aggressive toward each other for no apparent reason…active! This female Northern Cardinal posed for a second, and then danced in place for several. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Process in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Brubru
Brubru: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — A relatively common bird of the acacia thickets and semi-open savannah through-out East Africa, but this is the only one we saw on our trip, and we saw it on our walking safari on our very last day in Africa. Still, better late than never! It is a bush-shrike, and there is a race in Tanzania that does not have the white eye-brow…but this is the typical male. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 ! 1/500th. Plus 1.7EV for the backlight.
Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, February 2023 — So, okay, this was taken on the last day of February, but still in February. We have a pair (at least) of doves that are regular in our yard and they came with the rest of the mixed flock many times on our snowy day. The subdued light brings out the subtle colors. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Woodland Kingfisher
Woodland Kingfisher: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There are still Kingfishers in Uganda that I have not seen or photographed…which is almost enough reason to go back 🙂 This is one that I have seen several times, and have several good photos of…the Woodland Kingfisher. Again, from our walking safari on our last day in Africa. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Female Northern Cardinal
Female Northern Cardinal: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, February 2023 — It snowed pretty much all day yesterday, and the birds were very active at the feeders on our back deck. A pair of Cardinals was in the neighborhood. I am not sure where they spent the winter so far, but this is our first yard sighting since fall. The male was shy as always, and only made one lightning raid on the feeders that we saw…but the female came a few times and stayed long enough for me to capture her portrait. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Emerald Toucanet
Emerald Toucanet: Miriam’s Quetzals, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — We all jumped up from our delicious lunches at Miriams when this Emerald Toucanet visited the feeders out back. The feeder pole is about 12 feet from the deck rail, so this was a real treat. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Immature Bateleur
Immature Bateleur: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — I mentioned when I last posted an immature Bateleur, that though we saw NO adults, we saw a lot of immatures. We kept looking, but they were all immatures in 2022. This one sat long enough for us to circle around the tree for a better shot…though still not good light. Sony Rx10iv at 591mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Red-necked Spurfowl
Red-necked Spurfowl: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — We were walking. The Spurfowl was walking. Our path’s crossed…much to our delight…but I don’t think the Red-necked Spurfowl was all that impressed. 🙂 Relatively common in Southern Uganda and the southern half of East Africa. It only comes up into Kenya along the Ugandan border and up the coast. It has a strange distribution in Southern Africa as well, all the way down to the cape. It is also found in a strange set of habitats: savanna, forest edge, cultivated fields, etc. And there is a good deal of geographic variation in the plumage…but always with the bare red throat. Sony Rx10iv at 591mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
American Tree Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, February 2023 — Something different on the deck yesterday in our intermittent snow. Even Carol thought it might not be a Chipping Sparrow (which should not be here now…in middle of a snowstorm…anyway). I actually had to look it up, after taking a few photos through the glass of deck door…that is how rarely we have seen one in the yard over the going-on 30 years we have lived in Southern Maine. We don’t get the flocks by the roadside that are common south of us in winter. Just a single bird on very rare occasions. Nice to see though. We have more snow predicted for Wednesday. I will have my eye out! Sony Rx10iv at 500mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Broad-billed Roller
Broad-billed roller: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — the “other” Roller common in Lake Mburo, perhaps even more common than the Lilac-breasted. Not, to my eye, quite so exciting, but a Roller non-the-less. I have yet to see one in flight, so I have not been able to fully appreciate the blue rump and tail. This is another shot from our walking safari on what turned out to be a somewhat cloudy early morning in Lake Mburo. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus 1.7EV for backlight.