Posts in Category: back deck feeding station
Brown Creeper!
Brown Creeper: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We rarely see Brown Creepers in our yard, and they are even rarer on our deck. This one has been coming for several days now, foraging among the suet crumbs on the rail of the deck under the suet cage. Of course the light was marginal and I had to shoot through the double-pane glass of the deck door, but still…every Brown Creeper is worth celebrating. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr, Pixelmator Photo Pro, and Apple Photos. ISO 3200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker: It is worth celebrating every time a Red-bellied Woodpecker shows up at the suet, since we do not see them often, but it is especially noteworthy when shows up when I have my camera handy, or stays long enough so that I can go get my camera. This one flew off as soon as I moved in the kitchen…typical behavior…but returned briefly after I had come back with the camera. The yellow cable tie was an unsuccessful attempt to discourage the two squirrels who have figured out how to imitate the woodpeckers and hang off the bottom of the suet cage to nibble between the bars. I shoo them away when I catch them, but, honestly, they can’t get much for all their efforts. The Downy Woodpecker and the Nuthatches get most of the suet. 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.
Bluebird for November
Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We are privileged to have had Bluebirds in our yard just about year around these past few years. As long as I keep the mealworm feeder stocked, we see them just about every hour of the day. They join the Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Downy Woodpeckers as our truly “resident” yard birds. 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.
Blue Jay blue too
Blue Jay: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — If one set of poses of my cooperative Blue Jay from the other day is good…then a second set should be better? Maybe. As good as, more likely. 🙂 After all it is the same bird and the same feeding station. Handsome bird. Lovely background. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Blue Jay blue…
Blue Jay: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Blue Jays are only occasional visitors to our yard, though they are certainly always in the neighborhood. I can not tell you how many times one has landed on our deck when I have not had my camera handy, and, always, they are gone as soon as I move to go get the camera. This one was no different, but he came back after I got the camera and actually posed for me in a couple of different spots on the deck…here on one of the perch branches we have bolted to the deck rail near the feeders. Blue Jays are Corvids…related to the Crows…and are highly intelligent birds, with lots of character. They can be bullies at the feeder and I suppose I would feel differently about them if they were in our yard all the time, but as occasional visitors I am always happy to see them. It helps, in these shots, to have the lovely background of fall color, already in the sun while our deck was still in shadow. Taken through the thermal glass of our deck door. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 640 for the first two, 800 for the last @ f4 @ 1/500th. +.3 EV to compensate for the backlight.
Bluebird in the fall
Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We have Bluebirds coming for mealworms pretty much year round now. Even during periods when the the adults are mysteriously absent, the young will still be there almost every day. And now that fall is coloring the backyard trees, the subtle blues, in this case on one of the immature males from the first brood of this summer, have something to contrast nicely with. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 1250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Again with the chickadees…
Black-capped Chickadee: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Endlessly entertaining. And this set of shots is distinguished by the out of focus highlights in the background. I could not have set this up if I had tried. Sometimes good things just happen. The chickadee has taken a dried mealworm from the Bluebird feeder, and flown to one of the perches we provide to dispatch it. And, I must say, with a great deal of enjoyment…apparently. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm from the open door onto our deck. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/1000th.
Nuthatch anyone?
White-breasted Nuthatch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — No bird is more faithful at our feeders, year in, year out, than the White-breasted Nuthatch, with the obvious exception of the chickadees. And they are almost as expressive as the chickadees…striking poses as they forage and visit the feeders. These shots were taken from the open door leading out to our deck. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Apple Photos. Assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/1000th.
Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the feeder
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female): Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I was passing the deck door where we have feeders out when this female Rose-breasted Grosbeak landed on the sunflower dispenser and settled in for a good chow-down. Carol even got to see it. Her response was “that’s a big bird!”and it certainly is, compared even to the Purple Finches that use that feeder. I debated running for the camera, thinking it would certainly fly off while I was gone, but it was still there when I got back. I got shots through the double-glazed glass of the door and then slowly slid the door back enough to get my camera lens through. It was so busy cracking sunflower seeds that it let me take a whole series of photos from about 7 feet. This shot is just cropped slightly at the left to eliminate a feeder pole, but is essentially full frame at 600mm equivalent. Does not get better than that! (Unless of course you could find the bird at the same distance on a natural perch.) It is amazing to me how the Grosbeak deals with sunflower seeds. It simply demolishes the shell with a single crunch. The shell falls away on either side of the beak and it then eats the kernel. Easy when you have the beak for it. The smaller finches have to work the shell, and the chickadees and nuthatches have to pound it open. I suspect, from the shell mess under the feeder, that the Grosbeak has been visiting our feeder over the past week or so when we were not watching. 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.