Common Loon: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, February 2025 — I present for you this Sunday, the Serenity Loon…without a care in the world…the only ripples being those it makes itself in its peaceful passing. 🙂 What the world needs now. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Rose hips. Kennebunk, Maine, USA. February 10, 2025. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 532mm equivalent. Aperture mode at f16. Processed in Photomator and framed in LikeAFrame.
Common Loon: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, February 2025 — Just to prove I am not still in Costa Rica or Florida, here is a shot from yesterday morning…a dullish February morning, though we had sun in the afternoon. I was walking down to the tidal creek to photograph loons fairly far out, when this one popped up practically right beside me. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Actually this is still the snow from Sunday morning, and of course by now the wind has knocked most of it off the trees and brush, but it is still there. It has not been above freezing since. 🙂 Sony a5100 in Superior Auto, with Landscape mode selected. Sony 10-18 f4 @ 15mm equivalent. Processed in Photomator and framed in LikeAFrame.
Carolina Wren: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2025 — Yesterday we woke to six inches of snow in the yard, like most people in Southern Maine (some had more) and after clearing the drive and cleaning off the car and removing the snow from the shed roof I went looking for birds. We see these two wrens about once a week up on our back deck after the spilled meal-worm crumbs, and occasionally on the meal-worm feeder itself after a whole worm, and I know they spend considerable time under our deck, in the jumble of old flowerpots that have accumulated there. I think they actually nest a few yards over but they visit us. We see them often in the summer and I know they have been recorded on the Christmas Bird counts in Southern Maine, but this is the first winter when we have seen them regularly. I am always happy to see them. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
American Robin and European Starling: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2025 — I always look for the neighborhood flock of Robins this time of year, in hopes that there will be Cedar Waxwings with them. This year, so far, I have only found Starlings with them…not the same at all…but actually a bit rarer in Southern Maine than waxwings. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
European Starling: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2025 — We don’t like European Starlings much here in the US…and there are lots of good reasons not to like Starlings…invasive…aggressive…noisy…messy…voracious eaters of our seed…but, seen dispassionately (and in someone else’s yard) I, at least, can not deny that they have certain elegant beauty, and when the light on them brings out the iridescence…even an opaline splendor. I actually don’t see many starlings here Southern Maine. The few hanging with the local winter flock of Robins this year are the first I have seen, or at least noticed, in several years. I would not want to see it become a trend, but I don’t mind seeing one once in a while (in someone else’s yard). Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 Di iii @ 600mm equivalent. Program mode with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Sony Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2025 — Besides the Pine Warblers hanging out with our wintering Bluebirds, there are several Song Sparrows that have neglected to go south around town. At least a few along the dunes in the beach rose, and 3 or 4 in a local park along the river. (And probably more that I don’t know about.) They seem perfectly happy and have already survived the few snow storms and the low temperatures of the past few weeks. We will see how they do when it gets really cold next week. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 Di iii @ 600mm equivalent. Program mode with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Common Eider: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2025 — This first winter male Eider is breaking all the rules. While he did eventually swallow the crab whole, he did it on the surface, not underwater, and he was, so it seems to me, playing with his food before he ate it…to the extent that he threw it up in the air and then re-caught it as it came back down…before it could sink. I know there must be a better explanation than play…if there isn’t we have been seriously underestimating the intelligence of Eiders (or I have anyway). Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 Di iii @ 600mm equivalent. Program mode with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Downy Woodpecker: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2025 — We have had some bright clear January days this week, so I have been out in the backyard trying for some winter birds. The little Downy Woodpeckers are at the feeder and in the trees around the house everyday. Here we have a male and a female in similar poses. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 Di iii @ 600mm equivalent. Program mode with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.