Posts in Category: yard
fledgling Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Bluebird fledgling: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — It is hard to believe that it is that time of year, but I saw our pair of Eastern Bluebirds feeding fledglings on our deck and at the feeding station out by my photo blind yesterday already. Bluebirds do at least two broods a year, so this is their first nest…they fledged two. The fledglings will often “park” themselves near our feeders while the adults go out to forage, and the adults do take mealworms from the feeders when they return, even if they have other food for the young. 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.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We were privileged to have a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak with us for the day yesterday. Carol saw it first and called me to come early in the morning, and it returned to both the feeding station on the deck and the one under the pines where I have my photo blind, every hour or so all day, coming for more sunflower seeds. I put some out on the deck rail, since, unlike the female, he did not seem to like the feeders. By the look of his plumage, he is not a full adult…perhaps just coming into his second year. He still does not have the glossy black of the adult male but he certainly has the full bright red bib. He was remarkably trusting. I took my first photos through the glass of the deck door, but several times I was able to slide the door open far enough for unobstructed photos. The deck rail is only about 8 feet from the door. Such a handsome bird! 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.
insistent Pine Siskins
Pine Siskin: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The past few days I have seen a female Pine Siskin hanging out with our flock of Goldfinches. Yesterday a pair of them were actively dominating the flock…demanding first serve at the feeder, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. I had no idea they were so much more aggressive than Goldfinches. 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.
Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the feeder
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female): Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I was passing the deck door where we have feeders out when this female Rose-breasted Grosbeak landed on the sunflower dispenser and settled in for a good chow-down. Carol even got to see it. Her response was “that’s a big bird!”and it certainly is, compared even to the Purple Finches that use that feeder. I debated running for the camera, thinking it would certainly fly off while I was gone, but it was still there when I got back. I got shots through the double-glazed glass of the door and then slowly slid the door back enough to get my camera lens through. It was so busy cracking sunflower seeds that it let me take a whole series of photos from about 7 feet. This shot is just cropped slightly at the left to eliminate a feeder pole, but is essentially full frame at 600mm equivalent. Does not get better than that! (Unless of course you could find the bird at the same distance on a natural perch.) It is amazing to me how the Grosbeak deals with sunflower seeds. It simply demolishes the shell with a single crunch. The shell falls away on either side of the beak and it then eats the kernel. Easy when you have the beak for it. The smaller finches have to work the shell, and the chickadees and nuthatches have to pound it open. I suspect, from the shell mess under the feeder, that the Grosbeak has been visiting our feeder over the past week or so when we were not watching. 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.
Grey Catbird
Grey Catbird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Another bird that has been a rare visitor to our yard until this year, is the Grey Catbird. This one came very close while I was in my backyard photo blind waiting for the Eastern Towhee to come out of the deep brush under the feeders. We have two Catbirds this year, and, as well as the spilled seed under the feeders by my photo blind, they seem to like to forage for spilled seed in pansy planter on our deck rail. 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. +.3 EV exposure compensation.
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Towhee: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — When I was out filling the bird feeders by my backyard photo blind yesterday morning, I heard an unfamiliar “chink and titter” call. I simply could not place it, but I knew it could be an interesting bird. Later I took a look out the deck doors in the kitchen, just to see what was out under the trees, and saw the leaves hopping up and down as only a Towhee can hop them. Got my binoculars and sure enough it was an Eastern Towhee…a first for our yard. I had been fooled because our bird was singing the “dink, ic,ic,ic,ic,ic,ic” variation of the song rather than the more familiar “drink yur tea tea tea tea tea” version. I went out with my camera, but if you know Towhees you know how hard they are to photograph when feeding in dense cover and heavily leaves. Most of the time they are well buried. He did hop up on the fence and sing once…this time his traditional tea song, but he was still obscured by the brush in the corner of our yard. I saw it again, mostly still buried in brush, several times during the day, so, late in the afternoon I set the blind out and sat there for an hour waiting on the bird to show itself. I have, as you might predict, a great many photos of pieces of Towhee, and an equal number of shots of focused foliage and brush and unfocused bird. I even played his song for him, hoping to strike a competitive streak and inspire him to hop up somewhere and sing. He was not having any of my tom-fool-ery. Eventually I did get some photos I was happy with…if not the full frame, full body, field guide quality shot I might have wanted. 🙂 I am hoping he will attract a mate and that they nest in neighborhood…but I am happy just to have had one in the yard. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 2000 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +.3 EV exposure compensation. The high ISO called for some extra processing in Polarr.
Ruby-throated
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — When you only have one species of hummingbird, you learn to appreciate what you have…and the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds we get here in Southern Maine are easy to appreciate. I know we have at least 2 coming to our feeder…both males…since just once I saw them both making an attempt on the feeder at the same time. Yesterday, while out filling the seed feeders on the deck, one of them came in to use the feeder when I was just passing it, about a 18 inches away. I froze…literally froze in position and did not move…and after some dithering and dancing in the air, probably deciding if it was hungry enough to risk it while I was standing there so close, the hummer came in and fed for two or three minutes…then zoomed away. It was amazing to stand so close I could see every feather in the gorget when it flashed. These photos are cropped from images with the 600mm equivalent lens on the Sony RX10iv, from about 12 feet, and through double pane glass, but they capture a bit of the close up effect. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos (with the protruding feeder poll removed in TouchRetouch). ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Dynamic Purple Finch
Purple Finch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Another dynamic pose, this time a male Purple Finch. This particular bird shows a lot of white on its under parts. 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 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +1 EV exposure compensation for the backlight.
Dainty Downy!
Downy Woodpecker: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Compared to our visiting Pileated Woodpecker, the Downy Woodpecker that frequents our yard is indeed dainty…but oh so handsome. I caught the male here in a dynamic pose as it was on the way into the suet cage in front of my backyard photo blind. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Hermit Thrush
Hermit Thrush: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I have not seen the Hermit Thrush (s?) that visited our yard for a few days last week, so maybe I should share a few more shots of this beautiful bird while it is still more or less current. We heard a few songs, coming from the denser woods across the street, and I had some hope we might have a nesting pair…but maybe not after all. 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 1600 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +1 EV exposure compensation.