Posts in Category: Kennebunk
Maine! Not so Ruby-throat
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — I sat in the open doorway out onto our back deck for two hours yesterday afternoon, waiting on the hummingbirds to come to the feeder. They are much less dependent on feeders this time of year, with lots of flowers in bloom, but they do come often enough to keep my 8 ounce feeder full…though I have to replace the juice before they drink it all. They come about once every 15 to 45 minutes depending on the time of day…never staying more than a minute…long enough for a hit on the feeder and then away back to wherever they are nesting, or to feeding on the flowers. As you see here, even 1/2500th of second is not fast enough to freeze the wing tips, but even in full sun at f6.3 that puts the ISO at 2000. I will try 1/4000th today. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom. Program mode with my birds-in-flight modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! It is not easy being green
Green Heron: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — I went by one of our local parking lot drainage ponds to check for dragonflies. Not much yet. There was, however, a nice Green Heron (not uncommon at this pond). It was in the reeds on my side, but flushed as I approached before I saw it and landed on the far side of the small pond. This shot is at 1600mm equivalent (and cropped) using the OM System OM-1Mkii with the M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom and the in-camera 2x digital teleconverter. Program mode with my bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Least of terns
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — Nothing like a close encounter with a Tern in flight 🙂 This one was hovering momentarily as it decided whether to come down to the beach. This is a crop of about a quarter of the frame at 800mm equivalent (which would make it like the view through a 3200mm lens), but even-so it is about as close as you can get to a tern in flight. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Gimmy shelter
Piping Plover: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2024 — A cloud passed over the sun and mama Plover called all 4 chicks home to shelter. They had been out exploring the beach, one of them half way out to the distant tideline, and dad was having trouble keeping them corralled. This is the last of the 4, and you can count the legs under her for the other 3. This shot was taken from a long way away, well outside the protected area of the beach and she was well inside, at 1600mm equivalent field of view using the 2x digital tele-extender on my OM System OM-1Mkii with the M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom and then cropped some. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! driftwood sculpture
A gift of the beach altering storms of late winter and early spring…this massive tree trunk was deposited high on the beach against the dunes. That was all sand behind it last year. Who knows where this tree grew to this size though its history is undoubtedly written in the twisted roots. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 12-45 f4 Pro zoom at 26mm equivalent. Program mode. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Bobolink at high noon
Bobolink: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — Though the light was as harsh as it gets here in southern Maine, the Bobolinks were out singing from the saplings along the road…and any time they are putting on a show is a good time for a photo. I took this from the seat of my eTrike. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Diving again
Common Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — Two more diving shots, this time a Common Tern. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Both sides now
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — Least Terns hunting Sand Eels at the mouth of one of our rivers, along with Roseate and Common Terns. There is a large colony of Least Terns nesting one river south, and a few may nest on this beach…through there are no signs yet (other than the Fish and Wildlife protected area signs). The slope and shape of all our beaches were radically altered by the late winter and early spring storms. Terns in flight are always going to be a challenge to photograph. They are super acrobatic flyers as you see here where two similar postures show the underside and the upper-side of the wings. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! The dive!
Roseate Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — There were three species of Terns actively feeding at the mouth of one of our local rivers on Sunday: Roseate (pictured here), Common, and Least. The sand eels were plentiful. I set out to try to capture the diving terns and terns rising from the water, and the OM System OM-1Mkii and M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom did well, even at 800mm equivalent. Any faults in the photos are user error 🙂 This is Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. 16.7 frames per second in SH2 mode and 1/2500th and 1/2000th of a second. The hardest part was keeping the bird in frame as it dived and continuing to keep it in frame as it rose. The Roseate Tern tail features are a treat. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat: York County, Maine, USA, May 2024 — Not an easy bird to photograph most of the time as it loves to stay tucked in behind the leaves or reeds. This on was at the forest edge in a wet meadow, and though I could hear it just fine, getting a line of sight that showed more than a piece of the bird was very challenging. 🙂 I went home not really convinced I had gotten anything, which is the generally the result of any encounter with the Common Yellowthroat. At least in my experience. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.