Posts in Category: yard
Maine spring edition: White-throated Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, May 2022 — Another common bird this time of year (and only for a few weeks here), but another irresistible pose from my backyard photo-blind in the late afternoon sun. The White-throated Sparrows come through in flocks and settle out on their way north and up to higher elevations to stock up under our feeders. Sony Rx10iv at 591mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine spring edition: Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, May 2020 —
4/3
When Pine Warblers are the only
warblers you have to work with,
as it is here in Southern Maine
around about the first of May,
then you’d better believe we work
those Pine Warblers for all their worth.
It is true. Pine Warblers are our only warblers here in southern Maine in early spring…still waiting on even the Yellow-rumps to show. But we do get to really appreciate the Pines as a result. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent from my backyard photo blind. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/800th. Gotta love that late-day horizontal light.
Brown Creeper!
Brown Creeper: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We rarely see Brown Creepers in our yard, and they are even rarer on our deck. This one has been coming for several days now, foraging among the suet crumbs on the rail of the deck under the suet cage. Of course the light was marginal and I had to shoot through the double-pane glass of the deck door, but still…every Brown Creeper is worth celebrating. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr, Pixelmator Photo Pro, and Apple Photos. ISO 3200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker: It is worth celebrating every time a Red-bellied Woodpecker shows up at the suet, since we do not see them often, but it is especially noteworthy when shows up when I have my camera handy, or stays long enough so that I can go get my camera. This one flew off as soon as I moved in the kitchen…typical behavior…but returned briefly after I had come back with the camera. The yellow cable tie was an unsuccessful attempt to discourage the two squirrels who have figured out how to imitate the woodpeckers and hang off the bottom of the suet cage to nibble between the bars. I shoo them away when I catch them, but, honestly, they can’t get much for all their efforts. The Downy Woodpecker and the Nuthatches get most of the suet. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Bluebird for November
Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We are privileged to have had Bluebirds in our yard just about year around these past few years. As long as I keep the mealworm feeder stocked, we see them just about every hour of the day. They join the Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Downy Woodpeckers as our truly “resident” yard birds. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications, Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Bluebird in the fall
Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We have Bluebirds coming for mealworms pretty much year round now. Even during periods when the the adults are mysteriously absent, the young will still be there almost every day. And now that fall is coloring the backyard trees, the subtle blues, in this case on one of the immature males from the first brood of this summer, have something to contrast nicely with. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 1250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Again with the chickadees…
Black-capped Chickadee: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Endlessly entertaining. And this set of shots is distinguished by the out of focus highlights in the background. I could not have set this up if I had tried. Sometimes good things just happen. The chickadee has taken a dried mealworm from the Bluebird feeder, and flown to one of the perches we provide to dispatch it. And, I must say, with a great deal of enjoyment…apparently. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm from the open door onto our deck. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/1000th.
Nuthatch anyone?
White-breasted Nuthatch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — No bird is more faithful at our feeders, year in, year out, than the White-breasted Nuthatch, with the obvious exception of the chickadees. And they are almost as expressive as the chickadees…striking poses as they forage and visit the feeders. These shots were taken from the open door leading out to our deck. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Apple Photos. Assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/1000th.
Hard not to love a chickadee :)
Black-capped Chickadee: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The title says it all. It is indeed hard not to love a chickadee. They are so sprightly, and so bold. When all the other birds are being shy they are right there wherever you are, in close…often within your space. I have had them land on the feeder while I was filling it…and of course there are a gazillion photos of them sitting on people’s hands. And they have so much attitude! These shots are from a few moments before I headed out for a rainy day walk yesterday, when I pulled up a chair and sat in the open door leading out to our deck and the feeding station. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 2500 @ f4 @ 1/1000th.
Frumpy Field Sparrow
Field Sparrow: Kennebunk Plains Preserve, Kennebunk, Maine, USA. — I went for a photoprowl on my eTrike yesterday, since my stock of photos or my Pic for today posts was running low, and had no more than parked the trike at the Kennebunk Plains, than this Field Sparrow hopped up to see what I was doing. It posed long enough for me to get a few portrait shots. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. In order to fill the frame at the distance, I relied on some extra processing. Processed as I normally would in Polarr for highlights and shadows, sharpness, etc. and then run through Pixelmator Pro Photo’s Machine Learning Maximum Resolution, and recropped for scale. The two shot were assembled in FrameMagic to give you a both sides view. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/640th.