Posts in Category: Laudholm Farm
Red Squirrel!
Red Squirrel at Laudholm Farm
As I mentioned the last time I posted an image of a Red Squirrel, way back in the spring, we do not see them much in Southern Maine. They are, obviously, here, but they manage to say well out of sight most of the year. In fact I have not seen a single one since that day this spring. And I spend a lot of time in the woods, comparatively speaking. 🙂 Last Sunday, I went for a photoprowl at Laudholm Farm (The Well National Estuarine Research Center) and almost immediately saw this Red Squirrel scamper from the side of the path into a deep pile of brush, where it was, of course, almost completely hidden from my camera. So I clucked at it…doing my best to imitate an agitated squirrel…and, after a few moments, it popped up on a branch to answer the challenge. Way to go squirrel! It was, however, so dark in there under the old apple trees and in that brush pile that I had to, eventually, reduce the shutter speed to 1/160th before I came close to a proper exposure…and even then I was still maybe two stops under…and that was at ISO 1600. It is amazing how much detail the camera caught even 2 stops under exposed. A little work in Lightroom and this is an acceptable image. Or that is what I think. 🙂 And as a bonus, I saw a second Red Squirrel near the very end of my photoprowl, but despite my best clucking efforts, that one eluded a photograph. 🙁
Sony HX400V at 1200mm equivalent field of view. Shutter preferred. 1/160th @ ISO 1600 @ f6.3. Processed in Lightroom on my Surface Pro 3 tablet.
October Light in the Forest
Laudholm Farm, Wells ME
Yesterday was one of those clear-blue-sky October days in Southern Maine, just past peak foliage color, when the forest is full of drifting leaves and everything is hopping and popping. Birds and beasts are busy with the final collections for winter. The slant of the sun, and the trees dropping leaves already, bare limbs showing at the tips…there is a feeling of rush…not panic yet…but an unusual concentration, a compression of life that promises to get the most from this day. And, of course, it is all so beautiful!
This is a boardwalk at the Wells National Estuarine Research Center at Laudholm Farm in Wells Maine, just down the road from us. I think it catches the feeling pretty well.
Sony HX400V. In-camera HDR at 24mm equivalent field of view. Processed in Lightroom on my Surface Pro 3 tablet.
Female Green Darner
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From the looks of things the flood of Green Darners coming south may be over. This is from last week, at Laudholm Farm, on a particularly busy Darner day. I was able to photograph both male and female Greens as they perched, though the specimens were more than a mile apart. That might give you an idea of the size of the swarm. At both locations, there were 10-15 Darners visible in the air at any given moment. That is a lot of Darners on any day. 🙂
Sony HX400V at 1200mm equivalent field of view. ISO 100 @ 1/250th @ f6.3. Program with -1/3EV exposure compensation. Processed in Lightroom on my Surface Pro 3 tablet.
Chinese Mantis
We always called these “Praying Mantis” when I was growing up. A little research this morning tells me that we have two species in New England…European and Chinese, both introduced, and both common. The large size of the bug and length of the antennas (antenni?) make this Chinese. We found it in the lower meadows at Laudholm Farm on Saturday. It flew in right in front of me and landed. The flight is highly distinctive and surprisingly unlike the bug when it lands. My wife did not see it land and could not find it, even though she believed me (I think) when I said it was there. 🙂
Sony HX400V at just over 1000mm equivalent field of view. ISO 200 @ 1/250th @ f6.3. Program with -1/3EV exposure compensation. Processed in Lightroom on my Surface Pro 3 tablet.
Snowy Egret
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It is rare in Maine to get this close to a Snowy Egret. I have photographed them close in Florida at places like the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands at Viera and Merritt Island NWR many times. It is easy. In Maine, though, they are generally way out in the marsh, well away from any path I can walk. On Monday, I came upon a group of Snowys feeding in the marsh pools right off the observation deck on the forest boardwalk at the Wells National Estuarine Research Center at Laudholm Farm in Wells. Such a treat! (And while I was photographing the Egrets, a group of 15 Whimbrels flew in just beyond them!)
Sony HX400V at 2400mm equivalent field of view (1200mm optical plus 2x Clear Image Zoom). ISO 80 @ 1/640th @ f6.3. Program with -1EV exposure compensation. Processed in Lightroom on my Surface Pro 3 tablet.
Green Darner Invasion!
I have never seen as many Green Darners as I have this fall. For weeks now, on a good day, you can see hundreds (probably thousands if you stayed in the right spot long enough) coming through on their way south. They come in swarms. There will be a few Wandering Gliders mixed in, and the occasional Black-saddlebags, but mostly they are all Greens. They bring out what I assume are our resident Canada and Green-striped and Black-tipped Darners to do battle over their territories, but the Mosaic Darners could be migrating with them. Hard to tell. And hard to find one of the Greens perched. I did find one male and one female that sat long enough for photos on my last trip to Laudholm Farms. This is the male.
Sony HX400V at 1200mm and 2400mm equivalent field of view. ISO 250 @ 1/250th @ f6.3. Program with -1/3 EV exposure compensation. Processed in Lightroom on my Surface Pro 3 tablet. Assembled in Pixlr Express (web version).
Milkweed!
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I know it seems odd, but I have been waiting patiently for the Milkweek pods to burst. There were great fields of them at the Wells National Estuarine Research Center at Laudholm Farm. They have, as of yesterday, only preserved one small section below the house. The rest have been mowed before the pods could burst. It will be another week before they all ripe and ready for release, but I captured this early pod, just in case they get the mower down there in the next few days. I love the fine silky fibers and the way they catch the light. The seeds themselves have an interesting shape and texture, and the wind is always making new patterns. What is not to love?
Sony HX400V at 55mm equivalent field of view. Macro. ISO 80 @ 1/400th @ f7.1. I used Program Shift for greater depth of field. Processed in Lightroom on my Surface Pro 3 tablet.
Cedar Waxwing Again!
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I am pretty sure I mentioned this before but it is remarkable just how many Cedar Waxwings there are in Southern Maine this summer. They are everywhere and in good numbers. This specimen was part of a flock of maybe 20 birds working the edge of the meadows at Laudholm Farm (Well National Estuarine Research Center). The were in the trees and flew out repeatedly as I watched to take bugs from the tall grasses and brush in the meadow. At least some of them were young birds…this year’s brood, though this bird is in full adult plumage.
Sony HX400V at 2400mm equivalent field of view (1200mm optical plus 2x Perfect Image zoom). ISO 125 k@ 1/250th @ f6.3. Processed in Lightroom on my Surface Pro 3 tablet.
Sunflowers in the Sun
These giant Sunflowers are from the garden at Laudholm Farm a few days ago. As I mentioned earlier this week, sunflowers in Maine rarely get the chance to go to seed. Our growing season is just too shot. If the frost holds off another month, these might make it. 🙂
Sony HX400V at 565mm equivalent field of view. ISO 80 @ 1/640th @ f5.6. Processed in Lightroom on my Surface Pro 2 tablet.
Sunflower Gleaning in the Afternoon
I took a brisk walk at Laudholm Farm a few afternoons ago, mostly for the exercise, but, of course, with one eye out for photo-ops (well, both eyes to be honest), This female American Goldfinch was near the end of the walk, coming back to the farm buildings, in the community garden with it’s giant sunflowers. Sunflowers do not often ripen to seed in Maine before the first frost, but the few seeds already ripe were attracting a variety of birds on this early September afternoon. I saw at least one male Goldfinch, and several females. This one posed nicely below one of the blooms.
Sony HX400V at something over 1200mm equivalent field of view (using the Perfect Image digital zoom). ISO 80 @ 1/250th @ f6.3. Cropped slightly and processed in Lightroom on my Surface Pro 3 tablet.