Posts in Category: Kennebunk
Dad the provider. Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Bluebirds: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Bluebirds raise two (at least) broods a summer, so it is the male who feeds the young of the first brood while the female is already on the eggs. The past two days have been cool and rainy, adding to the stress on the male, so we have had the fledglings on the deck most of the day. The male returns often with grubs…but he feeds them mealworms between grub runs. The female comes only occasionally, but does not take time to feed the young. She is just after a quick snack before getting back to the eggs. This is not a great shot…as it was early morning in the rain and not much light yet at all, but it is a good portrait of both the male and one of the fledglings. The fledglings are almost big enough to fend for themselves. I have seen one of them on the mealworm feeder, but he has not figured out now to get the mealworms out. And, besides, it is easier to just sit there and let dad drop them into his mouth. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at about 400mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Canada Mayflower
Canada Mayflower (sometimes called False Lily of the Valley): Mousam River Wildlife Preserve, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I have never seem much in the way of wildlife at the Mousam River Wildlife Preserve, one of the Kennebunk Land Trust properties here in Kennebunk, but it is a nice walk a mile down along the ridge above the Mousam River as it broadens out into the tidal basin. This time of year the woods are full of Star Flower and Mayflower, and I did find one lonely Lady Slipper Orchid. It is not easy to find a Canada Mayflower in full bloom as the individual flowers on the single flower spike do not open all at the same time. This is the best one I have ever found. Nikon B700 at 24mm and macro. Program mode with Vivid Picture Control and Active D-Lighting set to low. -.3EV. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. I enjoy the more than life size macro on the Nikon B700. It works great for wildflowers even at its 24mm equivalent.
Lincoln Sparrow v.2021
Lincoln’s Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — you have to be alert or lucky…or even better, alert AND lucky…to catch a Lincoln’s Sparrow passing through Kennebunk on its way north. The past two springs we have had a few (only one this year) for a few days. And, of course, they are not easy to photograph as they are “skulkers”…always low in the brush and half buried in leaves. Still, it is fun to try! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent from my backyard photo blind. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 800, 250, 250, 640, and 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Before it fades too far into memory, I want to post this shot of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak what spent a day with us last week before heading off north to better breeding grounds. This is the best shot I was able to get away from the feeders and other man made objects. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm. Cropped to about 1100mm equivalent. Processed in Pixelmator Photo’s Machine Learning Super-Resolution (and for shadows, highlights, and sharpness). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Ninja Chipmunk
Eastern Chipmunk: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We have, of course, lots of chipmunks in our yard, but it is always fun to see them “in the wild”…out in the deeper forest. This is one of two who were playing tree tag in Rachel Carson forest as I was walking the other day. One of the fun things about carrying the Nikon B700 is the 1440mm reach that allows for shots like this from a fair distance. B700 at 1440mm equivalent. Program mode for ISO 1000 @ f6.5 @ 1/125. -.3EV Vivid Picture Control. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. I think this is a satisfying shot for high ISO with the small sensor on the Nikon.
Fringed Polygala and Trailing Pine
Fringed Polygala and Trailing Pine, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Kennebunk, Maine. — Sometimes nature arranges the most wonderful still-lives. This juxtaposition of color and texture certainly looks intentional…artistic in every sense. Nikon B700 (which I bought as a backup camera for trips and for a knock-about camera on my trike adventures, and with which I am having a lot of fun) at about 500mm equivalent. Program mode. Still experimenting with Picture Control modes for the best results with this camera. This was shot in Vivid, with Active-D lighting set to low, and -.3 EV exposure compensations. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Purple Finch. Superzoom.
Purple Finch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Nikon B700. I bought a back-up camera last week…and a camera smaller and lighter for taking on my trike when I don’t want to pack my Sony Rx10iv. I found that, while it is very hard to find from US dealers, there seems to a flow of “used, like new” Nikon Coolpix B700s coming out of Japan via Ebay. The B700 was the last upgrade Nikon made to their 60x zoom bridge camera. Basically a P610 with the sensor upgraded to 20mp, and 4K video added. I owned the P610, but gave it away when I got my Sonys. I kept the P900, but that is too big for a back-up camera. I don’t know what I was thinking 🙂 Anyway, I am putting the B700 through its paces, exploring its strengths and limitations. The image quality will never match the Rx10iv, but the longer zoom is nice to have (1400mm equivalent vs 600mm on the Sony). This is a full frame shot in not great light from yesterday afternoon. I really enjoy Purple Finches. 🙂 Nikon B700 at 1440mm equivalent. Shutter mode at 1/500th. Auto everything else. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. One thing I miss from the Sony already is the ability to pre-set a higher minimum shutter speed in Program without resorting to a fixed shutter speed in Shutter 🙁 But then all cameras have their limits.
fledgling Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Bluebird fledgling: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — It is hard to believe that it is that time of year, but I saw our pair of Eastern Bluebirds feeding fledglings on our deck and at the feeding station out by my photo blind yesterday already. Bluebirds do at least two broods a year, so this is their first nest…they fledged two. The fledglings will often “park” themselves near our feeders while the adults go out to forage, and the adults do take mealworms from the feeders when they return, even if they have other food for the young. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We were privileged to have a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak with us for the day yesterday. Carol saw it first and called me to come early in the morning, and it returned to both the feeding station on the deck and the one under the pines where I have my photo blind, every hour or so all day, coming for more sunflower seeds. I put some out on the deck rail, since, unlike the female, he did not seem to like the feeders. By the look of his plumage, he is not a full adult…perhaps just coming into his second year. He still does not have the glossy black of the adult male but he certainly has the full bright red bib. He was remarkably trusting. I took my first photos through the glass of the deck door, but several times I was able to slide the door open far enough for unobstructed photos. The deck rail is only about 8 feet from the door. Such a handsome bird! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
insistent Pine Siskins
Pine Siskin: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The past few days I have seen a female Pine Siskin hanging out with our flock of Goldfinches. Yesterday a pair of them were actively dominating the flock…demanding first serve at the feeder, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. I had no idea they were so much more aggressive than Goldfinches. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.