Posts in Category: Kennebunk Plains
Maine! Sunday Supplement, a flock of Goldfinches.
American Goldfinch: York County, Maine, USA — While out checking the Blazing Star bloom I found this large flock of American Goldfinches working the fading booms as they go to seed. I am not sure I have ever seen such a large flock. A group of them settled in the top of one of the small birches long enough for a few photos. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f7.1 @ 1/1000th.
Maine! Hummingbird Clearwing Moth
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth: Kennebunk Plains Conservation Area, York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — Last week when I went out to check for insects in the Northern Blazing Star bloom on the Kennebunk Plains, I found this Hummingbird Clearwing Moth working the Blazing Star…with a Monarch Butterfly right behind it. What are chances? Clearly better than you might think…as here you have it. There are two Clearwing Moths in Southern Maine, the Hummingbird (this one) and the Snowberry (which has a dark stripe down the side) and I have seen them both on the Plains different years. This is, on the other hand, only my 5th life Clearwing, though I only have photos from 3 of the previous…but I do remember each encounter vividly. This one will be the “one with the Monarch” 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/800th.
Maine! More migrating Monarchs (Blazing Star)
Continuing our coverage of the Monarch butterfly migration in southern Maine, here are two from the Kennebunk Plains and the Northern Blazing Star bloom. I recently found out that the Plains are host to the largest population of Blazing Star left in the world. In the world! Clearly the Monarchs are doing their bit to help keep it healthy. And really, is there anything more photogenic than a Monarch in Blazing Star? (Well, maybe, just possibly, yes there is, but I will save that for another day 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Scolia Wasp in Goldenrod
Scolia Wasp: Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy, York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — When the Blazing Star blooms on the Kennebunk Plains, it attracts insects of all kinds. This Scolia Wasp happened to be in the Goldenrod, which is also in full bloom on the Plains right now. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/800th.
Monday Supplement: White Blazing Star
I can’t let Northern Blazing Star season pass without properly celebrating it, so here is another Blazing Star shot. About one in a thousand (just a guess) Blazing Star plants produce white blossoms. I have no idea why…whether it is in the plant itself or in the soil, or some combination of the two. The plants appear otherwise healthy and identical to their purple counterparts. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 585mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f7 @ 1/800th.
Goldfinch among Blazing Star
American Goldfinch: York County, Maine, USA — Along the same lines as Goldenrod and Northern Blazing Star in the same frame, here we have a Goldfinch among Blazing Star. The same color contrast. 🙂 This time of year, as the Blazing Star blossoms ripen, there are flocks of Goldfinches out on the Plains, picking out the thistle like seeds. Getting close enough for a good photo is a trick, as they are fairly exposed and quite flighty. I took this from the seat of my trike, still clipped into the pedals, on the access road for the pond, low and through the foreground blooms. OM System OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 320 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th. Heavily cropped for scale.
Sunday Supplement! Honey Bee in Blazing Star
For some reason the Carpenter Bees and Ground Bees outnumber the Honey Bees on the Plains, even during the Northern Blazing Star bloom. Maybe no one keeps hives close enough. I am always happy, considering the decline in bee populations, to see a Honey Bee at work. I enjoy my honey! OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. (Makes a decent macro lens as well 🙂 Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/800th.
Maine! Bonus shot. Blazing Star and Goldenrod
I love the extreme color contrast between the Goldenrod and the Northern Blazing Star this time of year…though as I have mentioned before you have do some looking to find the two close enough to include in the same frame. This was taken with the OM Systems OM-1 and the ED 100-400mm zoom at 246mm equivalent. Still with my custom bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/800th.
Maine! Halloween Pennant
Halloween Pennant: Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy, York County, Maine, USA — While out photographing the Northern Blazing Star boom last week, I came across this fairly fresh Halloween Pennant. I am always happy to see one. This one was just back from the edge of Day Brook Pond. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine: Robber Flies
Robber Flies: Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy, York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — There are 54 species of Robber Flies living in Maine, comprising 20 different Genera…and there are over 1000 species world-wide. I have no idea which of the 54 these two are, but I found lots of individuals and many mating pairs when I visited the Kennebunk Plains last week to photograph the Northern Blazing Start bloom. This is a hand held in-camera focus stack from the OM Systems OM-1 and the ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent and about 4 feet. The stack is 8 exposures deep. Being able to do this hand held with an 800mm equivalent lens and from a comfortable working distance is pretty amazing. 🙂 Program mode. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. Nominal exposure ISO 400 @ f6.3 @ 1/1250th.