Posts in Category: back deck feeding station
Maine! Juvenile Cardinal
Northern Cardinal: York County, Maine, USA — Though we have Cardinals nesting in the neighborhood every summer, they only come to our yard once or twice a day…and most days we are not looking when they come. Recently we have had this juvenile Cardinal coming regularly, or regularly enough so we see it, every day. The adults are generally with it, but they mostly hang back under the big pines at the far edge of our lot. Though the juvenile does not have a lot of color yet, it is still a handsome bird! OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm zoom. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife settings. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 20000 and 16000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Rimlighted Hummer
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, September 2023 — It seems like the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were with us late this year…a week ago we still had them coming to the feeder. I think they all slipped down the coast ahead of Lee. We have not seen one in several days. These are from a week ago one morning while I as practicing my flute and watching the feeder action just as the sun was coming up over the trees in the back yard. I like the light on the wings…or in the wings. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 12800 @ f6.3 @ 1/2000th.
Maine! Monday motivation
Focus stacked image of Begonia flowers from the back deck. OM Systems OMD-EM5Miii with 12-45mm f4 Pro zoom. Program mode with focus stacking at 90mm equivalent. Nominal exposure ISO 200 @ f4.5 @ 1/125th. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.
Maine! Chipping Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow: York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — Still working through the photos from my afternoon with the hummingbirds on the back deck. We have more Chipping Sparrows coming to the feeders than any other bird…and indeed when I am out and about, I am amazed at the numbers of this common sparrow this year. They are everywhere and there are lots of them! This season we have adults and this year’s young going through about a 2 pounds of seed a day! OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 4000 @ f6.3 @ 1/1250th.
Maine! Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Bluebird: York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — Another shot from my afternoon session with the hummingbirds on the back deck. We have had Eastern Bluebirds year-round for the past 6 years. Before than, none, but when a pair moved into a nesting box a yard over from us, they came to stay, and they have raised at lest two broods each year since. They will disappear for a week or two from time to time, but they are with us every season. I keep the mealworm feeder full just for them. Beautiful afternoon light and a very cooperative bird make for a nice portrait. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 5000 @ f6.3 @ 1/1250 (I had the shutter speed bumped up for the hummingbirds 🙂
Maine! Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch: York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — While waiting for the Ruby-throated Hummingbird to show its gorget the other day, of course I had fun with the other birds coming to our feeding station on the back deck. This is one of a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches that have frequented our yard for many years. (I can only assume they are the same two, but I do assume that 🙂 This one is after as sunflower seed spill from the feeder above its head. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 2500 @ f6.3 @ 1/1250th.
Maine! Ruby-throat again
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — Of course, while working the feeder for gorget shots of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, I got lots of shots where the gorget is not lighted. In this one you an see a few spots of incandescents, but mostly it is a study in the other plumage details. 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom. Program mode with my custom birds modifications and the minimum shutter speed bumped up. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 3200 @ f6.3 @ 1/1250th.
Maine! Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, August 2023 — I spent a few hours sitting in a chair in the kitchen, just inside the open deck door, with my camera on a monopod…or eventually on my travel tripod…attempting, mostly, to catch the gorget of the male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that are coming to our feeder. Of course I took photos of any and all comers to the deck feeders as they allowed me to. All in all a productive afternoon. Which is good, since two days of steady rain, and then rain on and off yesterday, have kept me from going further afield for photos. I might get out to a few spots this Sunday morning as there is no rain in the forecast. This was taken with only natural light without direct sun. Pretty good okay, if I do say so myself. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 2000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee: York County, Maine, USA — One of the most common of our backyard birds here in southern Maine…and a noisy one at that. He sat and sang on our deck for a long time…especially considering the season, mid-August. A rare treat. Not the best light. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird settings. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 10000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Blue Jay
Blue Jay: York County, Maine, USA — I was photographing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at the feeder on our back deck when this Blue Jay flew in and landed on one of the feeder supports. It is relatively rare for us to have Blue Jays in the yard, only a few times each summer, and very rare for us to have one on the deck. I suspect this is a juvenile bird, mostly due to the pale forehead and crown. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 5000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.