Posts in Category: afternoon light
Eddy art
Emmon’s Preserve, Kennebunkport, Maine, April 2025 —Water heavily laden with tannins from decaying leaves and high spring stream levels work with gravity and fluid dynamics and the April sun to create art in the eddies. Sony a5100. 10-18 f4 zoom at 27mm. Superior Auto. Photomator and LikeAFrame.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron: Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, Florida, USA, January 2025 — Not a great photo, but a good bird for Orlando Wetlands. Though it was right were it should have been, on the hummock on Night Heron Lane, the lane got is name from the much more common Black-crowned Night Heron. Yellows are not often seen at Orlando Wetlands. This bird was too far away for great photography, and this is, by necessity, a heavy crop. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Strutting
Tricolored Heron: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025 — For the second year in a row, the Tricolored Heron was by far the most numerous of the heron tribe on Black Point Drive. There were, of course, more Great and Snowy Egrets by far, but of the dark herons the Tricolored took the crown. This one was pretty full of itself. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Learning the craft
Immature Reddish Egret: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025 — This Reddish-egret, just coming into adult plumage, was hunting along Black Point Drive on our first sunny afternoon. Backlit of course, but it was fun to watch. All Reds are awakward hunters, striking often improbable poses, but this immature was still obviously learning the craft. Still, I love the light through the wings. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Pink overhead
Roseate Spoonbill: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, January 2025 — This is pretty much a full breeding plumage male Roseate Spoonbill coming over fairly close on Black Point Drive in the full Florida afternoon January sun. Does not get much better! Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. 1/2000th. Processed in Photomator.
So pink!
Roseate Spoonbill: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025 — On the afternoon of my second day at the Space Coast Bird and Wildlife Festival we finally got some Florida sun. I found a group of Spoonbills feeding in the channel along the road under the dark overhanging mangroves. While still not in full breeding plumage, the Spoons are certainly pinking up. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! More Euphonias
Yellow-throated Euphonia: Mirador El Pizote, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica, December 2024 — after the Vulture Blind, the sun was full out on the feeders and perches by the covered patio down by the house, and the colors on the honeycreepers and euphonias really popped! Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with bird and wildlife modifications. -0.3EV. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Off East Point in January
East Point Audubon Sanctuary, Biddeford Pool, Maine, USA. Looking for non-existent Snowy Owls and Purple Sandpipers, but the view is grand! Sony a5100 with Sony 10-18 f4 wide zoom at 15mm equivalent. Superior Auto with Landscape Mode. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Can you see the Eagle?
Bald Eagle: York County Maine, USA, January 2025 — The eagle was back along the river yesterday, but sitting way up high in a tall pine on the other side. If you look closely in the wide shot (I say “wide” but it was at 111mm equivalent) you might find it, tucked back in at the end of a branch. It takes 600mm equivalent, cropped in, and then up-scaled, to see that it really is an eagle. I sat on a bench in the sun (barely warm enough for that but I had all my layers on), and waited to see if he or she would come down for a fish or at least decent to a lower perch…but the eagle was still on the end of that same limb when the sun went behind clouds and I called it quits. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Parakeets
Orange-chinned Parakeet: Tico Rainforest B&B, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — Victor has a flock of Orange-chinned Parakeets that frequent his fruit feeders daily. They are noisy and aggressive and he often moves them on with feather duster on a long pole once they have eaten, otherwise they would dominate the feeder for hours, not eating, but preventing other birds from eating. It seems to be all part of the game to them. I am posting the second photo to show the orange chins, which are hard to see unless you catch them just right. The Parakeets fly as flock but often perch as pairs. I am assuming that is intentional, and reflects the inner structure of the flock…a flock of mostly pairs. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii @ 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.